Annie Walton Doyle
Outraged Wheel of Fortune contestants have spoken out after claiming they were ‘robbed’ of $40,000.
Many of us dream of making a big win on a game show.
Not only do you get bragging rights for life, but you also get a big cash payout.
Holidays, vehicles, or just the shopping spree of your dreams doesn’t sound too bad, after all.
But one pretty peeved Wheel of Fortune contestant is claiming they didn’t get the prize they won.
In fact, fans of the show are claiming they were ‘robbed’.
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California high school choir director Megan appeared on the show on January 30.
And it initially seemed to be going pretty well, as she was answering questions correctly and racking up thousands of dollars in the prize pot.
Towards the end of the show, the category was changed to ‘Living Things’.
Megan seemed happy, as she believed she was capable in this category.
Which is when Pat Sajak presented Megan with a controversial brain teaser.
“_ _ N _ / _ R _ _ _ _,” the initial puzzle read.
Megan then guessed a P, a C and a D, with the brain teaser then reading: “P _ N _ / _ R C _ _ D.”
The clock was ticking, and Megan was feeling the pressure.
She blurted out several guesses, and just before the time went off, she appeared to shout out: “[inaudible] orchid!”
The controversy stems from what, exactly, that inaudible word was.
Some believe she said ‘pink orchid’, while others think she said ‘something orchid’.
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The answer was then revealed to be ‘pink orchid,’ leaving the audience to question whether Megan had guessed the answer or not.
But because it was unclear, the prize money was taken away from Megan!
“You might have been overthinking a type of orchid. I’m sorry that didn’t work out for you,” host Sajak told her, before presenting her with her reduced winnings of $14,000.
People are not happy with the Wheel of Fortune producers.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan of the show pens: “The woman got screwed on Wheel of Fortune bonus puzzle tonight, she totally said ‘PINK ORCHID’ right at the start.”
Another slams: “I questioned the judges from the first thing she said!! I’m deaf in one ear, and half remaining on right, so I use captions and lip read. She said ‘Pink Orchid’. No question!!”
“Hey, Wheel of Fortune I heard the contestant say ‘pink orchid’ at the beginning of that final puzzle and rewound it to make sure. You owe her some $$$,” a third writes.
People have also been rewatching the clip again and again to try to figure out exactly what Megan said, with strong proponents on either side of the debate.
It’s like the white and gold vs. blue and black dress all over again!
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