'Wheel of Fortune' fans call out contestant for losing $40,000 despite getting an 'easy' puzzle
Loyal fans of "Wheel of Fortune" are seriously invested in the games on the show as well as the joys and disappointments of contestants. They celebrate big wins, are heartbroken when someone loses, and even figure out strategies for classic games. But these fans are also quick to drag the host over a blunder and contestants who throw away easy games. While some puzzles baffle the expert solvers, a few seem pretty straightforward to everyone except the participant. One such case was that of a player named Conner Kemmsies, who lost $40,000 on a fairly easy "Bonus Round" puzzle. While the player was let down easily by the host, Ryan Seacrest, fans did not hold back on social media.
In the episode, Kemmsies, who hails from Lakeside, California, bested his fellow competitors to reach the Bonus Round. As he spun the wheel, he had a chance of winning up to $100,000 or a brand-new car.
The commercial pilot was joined by a team of supporters, including his wife, mother, sister, and grandmother, who cheered him on as he took on the final puzzle. At the end of the initial rounds, Kemmsies chose the popular “Phrase” category for the bonus puzzle. With the standard letters "R, S, T, L, N, and E," filled in, he chose the additional letters"C, M, D, and A". With all the letters filled in, the four-word bonus puzzle read, “_ D_D M_ _ _ ME_ _ R _.”
While the player got a fair share of letters on the board, he seemed a little shaky before the ten-second timer started ticking. With time running out on him, Kemmsies took a deep breath and guessed the first part of the puzzle "I DID MY...." However, he was totally amiss for the final eight-letter word of the puzzle. After time ran out, Seacrest revealed that the player got the first part right but failed to guess the word "HOMEWORK". To add to the heartbreak, he went on to reveal that Kemmsies had missed out on winning an additional $40,000 from the golden envelope.
Nevertheless, the player took home $19,080, and he seemed pretty happy about it. "At least it wasn't a $100,000," he exclaimed in the end. However, the fans of the show weren't comfortable with the loss at all. Viewers flocked to the comments section of the video, which was shared with the caption, “Conner had a whole team behind him during his Bonus Round puzzle! Drop a 📝 if you solved the puzzle before time ran out!”
Fans claimed that it took them no time to solve the puzzle as it was fairly easy. "Aw, COME ON!! How could you not know the puzzle immediately!" @MachuGamingDX wrote. "I got it right away. but if he would have said H he would have got it," @BUSBUNNY3 suggested.
Meanwhile, some backed the player saying that the puzzle wasn't that straightforward and the added pressure made it tougher. "I got it, but I don't blame him. It took me a bit to get it," @06MAN admitted.
Some even claimed that it wasn't a phrase after all. "Took me a little bit, but got it. But 'I did my homework' is not a phrase. 'You didn’t do your homework' however, is a notable phrase," @lunamelody2025 added.
