'Wheel of Fortune' player misses out on $40,000 prize money after failing to solve easy puzzle
Jan. 7 2026, Updated 9:35 a.m. ET
"Wheel of Fortune" cruise week edition continued tonight, and a contestant named Kimmy bagged herself an exotic cruise to Alaska valued at $10,625. She then advanced to the Bonus Round but couldn't guess the tongue twister puzzle and had to walk away with $25,260.
She started by earning big on the game show. Round 2 (Crossword - Day Blank): Kimmy solved the crossword, which turned out to be "Trip, Time, Dreaming, Care," and won $9,898. Prize Puzzle (Travel Tips): She solved "Check out the awesome scenery" and won a $10,625 worth cruise to Alaska. Kimmy then moved on to the bonus round after claiming $25,260 to her total winnings.
During the final segment of the game show, Kimmy revealed that she is a school teacher at John Yehall Chin Elementary School in San Francisco. She then introduced her supportive husband, Dennis, to the host Ryan Seacrest. The host playfully suggested calling her principal, Mr Lee, to get approval for her time off for the Alaska trip. "And can you get that time off to take these trips? What's his name or her name? Principal Lee, we're calling," Seacrest indulged in a light-hearted conversation before the big spin. Kimmy earned an "A+" on the wheel, and she chose the "What Are You Wearing?" category.
She then proceeds to choose the consonants D, C, H, and vowel A for the puzzle after receiving the standard letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. The puzzle board looks tough to crack: _, A, _, R,_,_,_, A ,N ,C_,_,_,_, T, S. "Pair of dance shoes. Pair of dance flats. Pair of dance cuts. Play a pair of dance hats. Pair of dance," Kimmy tries to guess the right answer. After several attempts, she fails to solve the puzzle, "Pair of Fancy Boots". Kimmy misses out on the $40,000 bonus cash prize and takes home $25,260 along with the exotic cruise.
Fans blamed Kimmy's choice of letters for the miserable result. "Boo, Boo!...BOOTS I was cursed by B and F again today," @sy-kd6km complained. "I figured out the puzzle and I was right with Pair of Fancy Boots, now if Kimmy would've add a "B" then that would've done it," @jacobwilson6192 criticized. "I knew it said Pair of Fancy Boots I said P B F and O and all them were on the board," @JasonFoo1653 chimed in. "CDHA CDMA CDPA deserved fail," @markh pointed out. "Tough puzzle. SMH. Tomorrow will be better," @myles-spikewebby8519 added.
You can watch the disappointing momenthere.
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