'Wheel of Fortune' contestant wins a car but decides not to keep it for an unexpected reason
The contestant made the unusual choice because of a deal she had with a loved one.
Oct. 5 2025, Published 12:45 p.m. ET
"Wheel of Fortune" contestants bagging a huge prize is not unusual, but it is weird when someone doesn't want to hold on to their winnings. That is something Andrea Kennedy did despite an impressive performance on the show that helped her win a car. Although Kennedy was ecstatic about the prize, there was a catch that no one had anticipated.
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Her competitor, Machelle-Melton, dominated the first toss-up round. It was time for the second toss-up round, and this time, another player named Nichols got lucky, while Kennedy's initial rounds were a rollercoaster ride.
She earned the one-million-dollar wedge after solving a puzzle, but lost it in the next round when she landed in bankruptcy. However, she managed to up her game, taking her total earnings to $18,443. She made it to the Bonus Round while her competitors left the game show with $3000. Before the final round began, the mom-of-two established that if she wins a car, she won't keep it. The reason was that her youngest daughter had called dibs on it. “The youngest one already called the car,” Kennedy said. “Ok, Harper. This spin is for you,” Seacrest gave a shoutout to the daughter before starting the round.
Kennedy chose person as her category and added the letters “C, M, D, and A” to the puzzle, which already had “R, S, T, L, N, and E” filled. The puzzle looked like this: “_ _RE_ _N D_ _L_MAT.” The player instantly knew the second word was "Diplomat," but the first was still a mystery. When the 10-second clock started ticking, she started thinking. Without taking too much time, she guessed, “Foreign Diplomat," and it was the right answer. Before revealing her prize to the camera, Seacrest told the contestant, "Harper's gonna be very happy." The envelope read "FORD," the car Kennedy had won in the Bonus Round that her daughter would now get.
Netizens flocked to the comment section to react to this incredible coincidence. "I bet Harper was screaming her lungs out!" one social media user wrote. "Harper got her wish," another fan added. "Way to go, Mom! Wonder if Harper will actually end up getting this vehicle... or maybe she will get mom's old/current one & mom will get this nice, new ride?!?" one more fan speculated. Many fans pointed out the incredible consecutive wins that happened on the game show the whole week. "This is the BEST week on Wheel Of Fortune so far!" one YouTube user wrote. "This week has been incredible because of all these wins. Hope it continues," another fan commented. In addition to winning the car, Kennedy also won $52,148 in cash. She was accompanied to the show by her long-time boyfriend. who joined her in the celebration.
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