'Wheel of Fortune' fans blame tricky puzzle for couple's $70,000 loss and call it very 'unfair'

Fans of "Wheel of Fortune" were outraged after a sweet couple lost out on winning nearly $100,000 on the show over a challenging puzzle. During the show's 50th anniversary week, contestants Danielle Williams and Adam Bencan emerged as the big winners of the night to take on the Bonus Round puzzle. While they were looking set to win big, the puzzle, "Quick Study" under the Person category, left them baffled. As it cost the couple an additional $70,000, fans were quick to bash the show on social media. 

In the special episode, three married couples, including Williams and Bencan from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lori and Robert Lamber from Laguna Niguel, California, and Jill and Mike Hampton from Rogers, Arizona, went head-to-head to win big prizes. The newlywed couple of Williams and Bencan got off to a rough start, but they made a strong comeback in the Express Round to take the lead and win an exotic trip to Aruba. They kept their winning streak and continued to solve puzzles in the Triple Toss Up round. In the end, they emerged as the winners of the night with a total $22,082 and the honeymoon trip. 

Advancing to the Bonus Round, they chose the category Person for the final puzzle. Alongside the host Ryan Seacrest at the wheel, the couple was joined by Williams' mother onstage for support. After picking out their prize envelope, they were faced with a short two-word puzzle. With the show's standard letter, "R, S, T, L, N, E," filled in, they chose, “U, M, D, and K," as their additional letters. However, their letter picks got them just one more clue as the puzzle read, “_U_ _K STUD_.”

After Seacrest kicked off the ten-second timer, it seemed like the pair had gotten the second word but couldn't figure out the first one. They looked at each other, confused, as Williams said, “Err, I don’t know, like, work study?” Once the time ran out, co-host Vanna White revealed that the answer was "Quick Study." Seacrest then added to the heartbreak by showing the couple that they lost out on taking an additional $70,000 home. 

"You still got that honeymoon trip and $22,082," Seacrest said to console the couple. While Williams and Bencan took the loss in stride, fans didn't mince their words on social media. "I never heard of a quick study person," wrote one fan, @lunamelody2025, in the comments of the show's YouTube clip. "I don't know that I would say this puzzle was fair. A person can be a quick study, but I feel that is more of a description, like smart or tall. I don't think it fits the category of 'person,'" added @noahlong1432. 

However, one fan explained how the phrase could be in that category. "Yes, 'quick study' is an informal idiom that refers to a person who learns new things quickly: 'He's a quick study and easily grasps all the details of a discussion,'" wrote @misterjerek.

"Wheel of Fortune" recently gave the fans something to cheer about as the show announced the premiere date for its 43rd season. 

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