A Wheel of Fortune contestant opted for the wrong letter, and it cost her big time.
Kimberly Wright from Apopka, Florida, appeared on the long-running game show, and it appeared that she had a win in the bag.
Kimberly was going to work on a puzzle in the “Living Thing” category, and everything was going well until she made a mistake that left her short of more than $7,000.
After Kimberly’s spin landed on a $3,500 wheel wedge, she opted for the letter “P,” bringing up multiple Ps worth $7,450 and a puzzle that read, “D U _ _ – _ _ L L E D PLATYPUS.”
When host Pat Sajak asked Kimberly what she wanted to do, she chose to spin yet again.
This time, Kimberly landed on the “Express $1,000” wedge, requiring her to call another letter.
When Kimberly told Pat she would be calling the letter “F,” the live audience immediately groaned, realizing that “F” was not on the board, earning her the buzzer.
Kimberly’s letter choice implied that she believed the correct solution to the puzzle was “duck-filled platypus” when, in fact, it was “duck-billed platypus.”
Kimberly’s faux pas not only cost her thousands of dollars but plenty of criticism from Wheel of Fortune viewers at home.
Wheel of Fortune viewers are shocked by Kimberly’s costly mistake
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Wheel watchers sounded off, disgruntled over Kimberly’s big miss.
“Duck-filled platypus??” pondered @MiddleG11, who included a clip of Kimberly’s unfortunate loss.
Another fan of the show, @peasoupprincess, uploaded the same video clip and expressed their consternation.
“I am so f**king glad someone tweeted this s**t because i have never been more enraged watching wheel of fortune,” they griped.
Other X users chimed in, groaning about Kimberly’s on-air blunder.
“Wheel of fortune puzzle was clearly duck-billed platypus and the lady asked for an F,” wrote @liltree. “She’s like reverse autocorrect.”
“Oh my, that was painful,” @selmasays_ chimed in. “F?? she thought the platypus was filled? with what exactly?”
Following Kimberly’s unlucky mishap, her opponent, Marie Kioski from Owosso, Michigan, swooped in and solved the puzzle correctly, winning herself some cash and a trip to Margaritaville Vacation Club Rio Mar in Puerto Rico.
Wheel of Fortune hopeful wins big after applying for the show for 28 years
In a happier turn of events, another Wheel of Fortune contestant named Tracy shared a hopeful story during her recent appearance on the show.
During her introduction, Tracey explained to Pat that she first applied to appear as a contestant 28 years ago.
Although she wasn’t chosen initially, Tracy persevered, explaining that periodically she would update her information, and eventually, it paid off after nearly 30 years of determination.
“Through faith and perseverance, I made it!” Tracy exclaimed, earning herself a round of applause from the studio audience.
“We’ve been waiting for you!” Pat Sajak added, joking, “I told ’em, I said, ‘I’m not leaving til Tracy gets here!'”
Not only did Tracy finally earn herself a spot on Wheel of Fortune, but she won big during the Bonus Round, solving the puzzle correctly and walking away with a brand new Ford Escape SUV.
Tracy’s total winnings for the evening totaled a whopping $54,768 — not too shabby for a day’s work.