Navy veteran on 'Wheel of Fortune' lost $100,000 because of tough puzzle but she isn't 'complaining'
She could have also won an all-expense paid trip to India along with the prize money.
Aug. 9 2025, Published 11:47 a.m. ET
"Wheel of Fortune" might seem like all fun and games, but once the puzzles get tougher, even someone as tough as an army veteran doesn't stand a chance. One contestant who found out about this the hard way was a Navy veteran who had won an impressive $34,000 on her way to the Bonus Round. However, things did not work out too well for her there as she faced an impossible puzzle.
The contestant’s name was Nekeia Borders, who had an advantage, which was the Wildcard. This would allow her to choose one extra consonant while solving the puzzle in the Bonus Round. Without further ado, the contestant spun the wheel and hoped for the best. It would have mattered only if she won.
As the wheel stopped, host Ryan Seacrest pulled out the card and the two made their way in front of the screen. The contestant had chosen the Phrase category and was given the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E as per the norm for the show. She then had the chance to pick one more vowel and four more consonants. Borders picked the letters D, M, P, I, and C. These opened up a lot of the puzzle, but not the important bits.
It now read, “L_ _ _ _ _C _ _ IT_ _ _N_NESS.” The Navy vet’s 10 seconds started counting down, but she had no idea what the correct answer was. Border did not give any answer in the time allotted and failed to win the round. The correct answer was, “Look back with fondness.” This was an incredibly tough puzzle to solve with the letters that she had.
However, the worst part came when Seacrest opened the envelope. It turned out that Borders had lost $100,000 and a trip to India. The disappointment was clear in her reaction, but she quickly composed herself. “I am not complaining,” she said as Seacrest reminded her that she had won a whopping $34,000. The Navy vet had played a fantastic game, considering that she was behind her competitors for most of it before the Bonus Round, as per a TV Insider report.
Fans of the show could not help but sympathize with Borders. She tried her best, but there was little chance of anyone solving that puzzle with those letters. “That was very difficult puzzle, but she still took home a bulk of cash! Congratulations 🎉,” one user commented under the clip on YouTube. “KILLER puzzle. Unlucky to get that one. No way anyone is solving that,” added another. “Yea that was impossible. You had to call the right letters to have any chance,” one more said.
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