Sometimes it's hard to watch iconic game show Wheel of Fortune and not think, "they're really not sending their best people" when it comes to the contestants.
The competitors are always nice and personable, but all too often there are facepalm-worthy unforced errors--like "buying vowels" when the puzzle is basically already solved, or guessing letters that have already been eliminated.
But a recent contestant debacle on the show has to be an all-timer, so much so that the in-studio audience audibly groaned when it happened.
With just a single letter to go to solve the puzzle, a contestant named Khushi thought she had the puzzle locked--and then, well... she just really, really didn't.
As you likely know, there is no 'G' in the word 'fresh,' and the audience just really couldn't handle it when Khushi seemed to think there was.
See the moment below.
\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever heard a single audience member audibly have such a violent reaction on Wheel of Fortune, as this lady did when a poor contestant called a G in \u201cFresh\u201d.\u201d— Chad Mosher (@Chad Mosher) 1676938824
Even host Pat Sajak seemed a bit over it when it came to Khushi. With just one letter, the 'S' in 'fresh' remaining in the phrase "Fresh Tropical Fruit," he was heard exasperatedly telling Khushi:
"Solve it or spin it? But do something quickly."
So she did. She spun the wheel, trying to get that one last opportunity to add money to her score, and then after an uncomfortably long pause in which she seemed deeply confused, she guessed a 'G' instead of an 'S.'
Someone immediately erupted from the audience, yelling "What?!" before the audience joined together to turn on Khushi with a unison groan of agony.
It was then Khushi's fellow contestant Juliana's turn, who said "I'd like to solve the puzzle?" with a barely contained note of "LOL girl are you effing kidding me" in her voice. The camera people were generous enough to not film Juliana's surely nonplussed face.
Sajak then graciously chalked up Khushi's mistake to the pressure of being on television, which is certainly fair.
But people on Twitter were definitely more on the side of the groaning audience.
\u201c@ChadMosher\u201d— Chad Mosher (@Chad Mosher) 1676938824
\u201c@ChadMosher The exact moment when Khushi questioned her own choice...\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23\u201d— Chad Mosher (@Chad Mosher) 1676938824
\u201c@Fitotheman @ChadMosher Not when you\u2019re on the last letter. NO.\u201d— Chad Mosher (@Chad Mosher) 1676938824
\u201c@ChadMosher Poor Khushi \ud83d\ude16 I'm pretty sure she was nervous and wasn't thinking straight.\u201d— Chad Mosher (@Chad Mosher) 1676938824
\u201c@ChadMosher I was ready for fisticuffs with the guy in this video, but I think this girl has taken his spot\n\nhttps://t.co/sWb7drey8i\u201d— Chad Mosher (@Chad Mosher) 1676938824
\u201c@ChadMosher I thought everyone knew to guess RSTLNE first. Like, if any of those letters haven't been guessed and you *really* don't know what that missing letter could possibly be, start with that? Because they already have RTL & E on the board. Why do you not choose S or N?\u201d— Chad Mosher (@Chad Mosher) 1676938824
\u201c@ChadMosher\u201d— Chad Mosher (@Chad Mosher) 1676938824
\u201c@ChadMosher I know there\u2019s a lot of pressure when you\u2019re on the show. But explain to me what \u201cfregh\u201d means! I even had to fight with my autocorrect to make it pop up. It wanted to change it to fresh.\u201d— Chad Mosher (@Chad Mosher) 1676938824
\u201c@ChadMosher I'll remember this day next time I go to the grocery store and I cross "FREGH TROPICAL FRUIT" off my grocery list.\u201d— Chad Mosher (@Chad Mosher) 1676938824
To make matters worse, not only did Khushi lose the round but she also lost a trip to Antigua. Every letter counts in Wheel of Fortune, especially the wildly incorrect ones.
@PreetBharara/X
@RepBrendanBoyle/X
@twesq/Bluesky
@christopherharris/Bluesky
@evangelinewarren/X
@FrankC164/X
AMC