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'Wheel of Fortune' contestant lets out a scream as she wins $50,000 after a major comeback

The high school teacher could barely contain her excitement after cracking the Bonus Round puzzle.
PUBLISHED SEP 2, 2025
Screenshot showing Renee Jones attempting her Bonus Round puzzle (Cover Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Renee Jones attempting her Bonus Round puzzle (Cover Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

"Wheel of Fortune" fans are used to being let down by contestants in the bonus round, after they raise expectations with great performances in other rounds. But sometimes players surprise viewers after a rocky start, and some deliver spectacular comebacks. One such contestant won $50,000 after a strong comeback to make it to the finale. In the end, she kept the momentum going and cracked the final puzzle before breaking out into a loud and cheerful celebration with the host.

Screenshot showing Renee Jones celebrating her win with Ryan Seacrest  (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Renee Jones celebrating her win with Ryan Seacrest (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

Jones had a bumpy start, but she took the lead in the Mystery Round after winning $5,150 in cash. However, her rival Scheer took a runaway lead in the PR Round, as she won a trip to the Oceans at Divi Little Bay in St. Maarten, worth $9,500, according to Andy Nguyen's blog.

In the Triple Toss Up and the Speed Round, Jones made a strong comeback, solving puzzles left and right. She racked up thousands of dollars through the rounds to emerge as the big winner with $16,650 in cash. On the other hand, Scheer finished a close second with $15,550.

Screenshot showing Jones alongside Seacrest at the wheel (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Jones alongside Seacrest at the wheel (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

Advancing to the Bonus Round, Jones chose the "Phrase" category for the final puzzle. Joining Seacrest at the wheel, she gave it a good spin and picked out her Golden Envelope. Jones then faced a long four-word puzzle on the board. In a lucky turn of events, the show's standard letters "R, S, T, L, N, E," gave the player plenty of clues on the board. Her additional letter picks, "H, P, M, and A," gave her a few more as the puzzle read, "T H A T’S T H E  _ H _ L E _ _ E A."

Screenshot showing the Bonus Round puzzle (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the Bonus Round puzzle (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

As soon as Seacrest kicked off the ten-second timer, it was clear that Jones had already figured out the answer. Without wasting a second, she yelled out the correct answer, "That's The Whole Idea". She let out a loud scream, and Seacrest added to her delight by revealing that she had won another $50,000, which took her total to over $66,000. Jones then gave Seacrest a big hug as he thanked her for the hard work with the students. 

While the player was beyond delighted, viewers at home celebrated as well. "Way to go, Renee! You did a great job tonight! Another easy puzzle! Plus $50,000 won tonight!" @jamesmcilwee8939 wrote in the comments on YouTube. "We miss u, teacher of the year 2020," added one of her ex-students, @TheOgaolo24. 

More on Market Realist:

'Wheel of Fortune' contestant misses out on $40,000 after failing to solve easy bonus round puzzle

'Wheel of Fortune' fans call out the show after player lost $50,000 due to an outdated phrase

'Wheel of Fortune' fans slam the show for using an outdated phrase to 'defeat its own contestant'

RELATED TOPICS WHEEL OF FORTUNE
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