‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant’s Bonus Round Blunder Baffles Viewers—and Ryan Seacrest
A Wheel of Fortune contestant’s near-miss during the bonus round left fans cringing—and even host Ryan Seacrest scratching his head.
On the November 18 episode, Joey Sweet, a program director from Oceanside, California, came painfully close to scoring a \$40,000 prize. The category was “Phrase,” and the nearly solved puzzle read:
“CA_ED’ ‘_’ ‘_AND'”
Sweet had chosen the letters C, D, M, and A, with an extra F courtesy of his Wild Card.
His guess?
“Cleared in hand.”
It wasn’t a terrible attempt, but it wasn’t correct either. The actual answer—“Carved By Hand”—stumped both Sweet and many watching at home.
Even Vanna White threw her hands up in exasperation after the reveal. Seacrest, who has hosted the show since 2021, tried to offer comfort. “You were on the right track. This is a tricky one,” he told Sweet as he opened the gold prize card to reveal the \$40,000 he’d just missed. “Tough one,” he added. “Even with the head start,” nodding to Sweet’s Wild Card advantage.
Despite the setback, Sweet kept a good attitude. “It’s okay!” he said with a smile, walking away with over \$16,000 in cash and a trip to Mexico—a solid consolation prize.
The moment quickly went viral after a clip was posted to YouTube, with fans rushing to the comments. “I wouldn’t have gotten that either,” one user admitted. Another pointed out, “’By’ is always tricky in the bonus round—two-letter words are brutal on this game.” Over on X (formerly Twitter), one viewer echoed the sentiment:
“To be fair, ‘By’ is a tough word to guess in that puzzle. #WheelOfFortune”
Joey’s flub wasn’t the only one turning heads this season. Just a week prior, contestant Will Jordan went viral for guessing, “Treat yourself a round of sausages” when the correct answer was “Give yourself a round of applause.”
As moments like these continue to light up social media, one thing’s for sure—Wheel of Fortune still knows how to serve up surprises, stumbles, and some seriously entertaining TV.
