Wheel of Fortune contestant blows $17k on bad vowel pick as studio falls silent and next player just stares
A wheel contestant left the studio audience awestruck on Friday’s episode after a bad wager on a vowel.
Artist and yoga instructor Kim Weisenberg had spent much of the game successfully guessing letters that were on the board.
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A Wheel of Fortune contestant blew her $17k winnings after making a bad guess with a vowelCredit: ABC
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While attempting to solve a puzzle with the solution ‘ the entrance to a castle’, Kim decided to buy a vowel, and the letter ‘U’ was not on the boardCredit: ABC
Kim’s turn came around as a puzzle was just about to be solved.
The correct answer Wheel of Fortune had intended was the phrase “the entrance to a castle.”
Kim decided to buy a vowel as one of her final moves after successfully guessing that an “R” was on the board.
Then she decided to buy a vowel and opted for a “U” next.
The silence was palpable in the room as the buzzer sounded and the letter was nowhere to be found on the board.
The crowd gasped and Kim ended up forfeiting the $17,000 she had accrued that turn with the puzzle.
Kim was noticeably shaken as a nervous grin appeared on her face.
“Okay, it’s okay,” she said, covering her face a bit and nervously stepping left to right.
The camera panned over to the next contestant, Chicago public school instructional coach Takyra Garner.
Her face was blank for a moment after what felt like an agonizing silence.
Her eyes darted to Kim in disbelief, and then back at host Pat Sajak.
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The shady look dissipated as Pat, 77, told Takyra she could solve the puzzle if she wanted to.
It took Takyra a few moments to seemingly process what had just happened in front of her.
She broke the silence and proclaimed she was ready to solve the puzzle.
SHADY SOLVE
Takyra proceeded to solve the puzzle without another look at Kim after her shady reaction.
“The entrance to a castle,” she proclaimed, and that was all she needed to win the round.
“Yeah, that’s it!” Pat responded, and the audience cheered Takyra’s answer.
But Kim’s loss was still hanging heavy in the air.
“I know, the game can be brutal sometimes,” Pat said in response to the awkward move.
“Sometimes you have a word that just doesn’t want to come into focus. It did for Takyra, and she’s going to Honolulu!”
Takyra clapped as she received a trip to Hawaii worth $8,299 as well as her winnings of over $11,000.
“Don’t beat yourself up,” Pat told Kim as the show went to commercial break.
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When Kim bought the vowel a buzzer sounded and it was clear she had just lost her $17k winningsCredit: ABC
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The silence in the studio was deafening as Kim realized her mistake and others stared in disbeliefCredit: ABC
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The onus then fell on to competitor Takyra, who decided to solve the puzzleCredit: ABC
FANS WEIGH IN
Fans on social media could hardly believe what went down during the game.
Their reactions were visceral as they were stunned by Kim’s sudden misstep.
“LMAO SOMEONE ON WHEEL OF FORTUNE JUST LOST 17 THOUSAND DOLLARS BEING AN IDIOT AND THE CONTESTANT NEXT TO HER WAS STUNNED,” one fan penned.
“Oof… U. That wrong letter was a $31K swing in the game. We need win probability charts for every action during the game,” another commented.
“Takyra on Wheel of Fortune was mad shady when the lady said ‘U’,” a third fan wrote.
“Omg. I can’t believe she asked for a ‘U’,” a fourth fan posted in disbelief.
“That was brutal to watch U? U?!?! IS SHE SERIOUS #WheelOfFortune” one fan asked.
“The silence,” another mused.
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Takyra solved the puzzle successfully and received her winnings and a trip to HawaiiCredit: Getty Images
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Host Pat told Kim not to beat herself up over her loss as the show went to commercial breakCredit: ABC
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Fans couldn’t believe the events that had transpired during the roundCredit: ABC
