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'Wheel of Fortune' fans left frustrated as another contestant loses $40,000 to a tricky puzzle

"Well, a strong player tonight in the main round, but not in the bonus round. Maybe we will have a Winner tomorrow," a fan reacted.

BY MARY ANTHONY

UPDATED JAN 20, 2026

Vanna White and contestant Callie on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

Prizes offered to contestants in the bonus round on "Wheel of Fortune" include cash, exotic vacations, and even a brand-new ride. However, there haven't been many winners in the final round this year, and viewers are growing less interested due to the disappointing trend. One more loss in a recent episode further tested the patience of loyal fans. After earning $30,670, contestant Callie made it to the final round, but unfortunately, she missed out on the opportunity to win a car since she was unable to solve an unusual puzzle.

Ryan Seacrest and contestant Callie on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

Callie aced the First Round, called Before and After, by solving "Sleeping Beauty Salon" and taking the lead with $3,300. During the Mystery Round called, Most Likely To, she continued her winning streak, landing on the Mystery Wedge and successfully solving "Be late for their own wedding" for $10,000, bringing her total to $18,000. While solving the Triple Toss-Up - Word Play worth $2,000, with a bonus of $10,000 for solving all three. Cali correctly guessed the third ("You are winding me up") and won $2,000. She emerged as the big winner of the night with $30,670 and went straight into the Bonus Round.

Contestant Callie's family on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

The host, Ryan Seacrest, congratulated her on her performance so far, while she introduced her husband and sister, who are cheering her on. Callie then moved on to the bonus prizes, aiming for either $100,000 or a new car. She chose the category "Phrase" and was provided with the standard letters, "R, S, T, L, N, and E." Callie then chose additional consonants, "P, H, C," and the vowel O. The puzzle board then showed, "_, _, O, _, N, _, _, N, E, _, _, O, _."

With 10 seconds on the clock, she attempted to solve the puzzle but was unable to do so. Despite her strong performance throughout the game, she couldn't guess the phrase, "I found a new job." Even though she didn't win the $40,000 cash prize and the car, Callie's total winnings of $30,670 were commendable. Meanwhile, fans went on to express disappointment with the losing streak, "Now, that’s 3 times in a row to a puzzle in the bonus round with the letter J that none of the contestants wanted to pick at all," @jeffreychen3069 commented. "Well, a strong player tonight in the main round, but not in the bonus round. Maybe we will have a Winner tomorrow," @Animegamespublishing complained.

Vanna White and contestant Callie on 'Wheel of Fortune' (Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

"Absolute garbage episode!!! I so want to know right now!!! Why do we keep getting more and more bonus round losers than winners?! Big finger for 'Wheel of Fortune!!'" @zaidarodriguez8455 chimed in. "How will it feel if season 43 had the most losers?!" @AK-oo5cj added.