'Wheel of Fortune' fans slam player who lost $40,000 after failing to solve one obvious letter
"Wheel of Fortune" fans often sympathize with players who miss out on a big prize despite doing well, and even slam the show's host and producers for puzzles that are too tough to solve. But when players make a blunder and throw away an easy game, viewers are quick to call them out as well. A contestant named Dave Kendall faced a two-word six-letter puzzle in the finale, and he botched it by getting a single letter wrong. While the game was cruel to the Ozark, Missouri, resident, fans did not cut him any slack in the comments on YouTube. Many called the round a "free win," which the player fumbled.
TV Insider reported that Kendall was off to a flying start after solving the first two puzzles in the toss-up rounds. However, his run was interrupted after he landed on the bankruptcy wedge. Luckily, both his competitors landed on it as well, and they all had to start from scratch. Kendall then retained the lead by solving two $2,500 puzzles, which took his total to $13,000.
After losing his lead again, Kendall made a comeback by solving two toss-ups worth $4,000 and the final puzzle of the league, “The Cream of the Crop.” In the end, Kendall advanced to the Bonus Round with a total of $23,600 in the bank.
With a chance of winning up to $100,000 or a brand new car, Kendall went on to spin the wheel, and the show's host, Ryan Seacrest, picked out the Golden Card for him. For the final puzzle, he chose the popular category, "Phrase," and was joined by his wife, Jenn. After taking center stage, Kendal was faced with a short two-word puzzle. With the show's standard letters, “R, S, T, L, N, E,” filled in, Kendall picked the additional letters, “J, F, C, and I". With everything filled in, the puzzle for the veteran read, “IN _ FI_.”
While the puzzle seemed short and easy, Kendall looked stumped. When Seacrest started the ten-second timer, the player tried to rush to an answer. He kept guessing phrases like “In a Fib” and “In a Fich,” but he couldn't get the right answer within the time limit. In the end, Seacrest revealed that the puzzle was “In a Fix.” To add to the heartbreak, Seacrest flipped the Golden Card to show that the player had lost out on winning an additional $40,000 after missing just one letter in the puzzle.
While the loss was painful enough, fans did not spare the player. In the comments of the Bonus Round's YouTube clip, viewers roasted the player. "That bonus round shouldn’t have been lost. So free," viewer @sammylerman7136 wrote. "This was such an easy puzzle!! I was practicing screaming at the TV! LOL" another viewer @remitheninjacat added. However, some fans did come out in support of the veteran. "In his defense, I've never heard that phrase before: I wouldn't have gotten it," @AutismSingsHD explained.
