Even Vanna White, who’d been chomping at the bit for the reveal, threw up her hands in dismay after the wrong guess. Seacrest, who’s helmed the show since 2021, was quick to offer comfort. “You were on the right track. This is a toughie,” he told Sweet. Then he flipped open the gold prize card to show the $40,000 that got away, but he didn’t let it go at that. “Hard one,” he added, nodding to Sweet’s Wild Card advantage.
Despite missing the jackpot, Sweet stayed chipper and gracious. “It’s okay!” he said, showing he wasn’t going to let the tough puzzle get him down. He still walked away with over $16,000 in cash and a trip to Mexico—decent consolation.