Even host Ryan Seacrest was stumped by a contestant’s goof on Wheel of Fortune’s bonus round.
Joey Sweet, a program director from Oceanside, California, nearly blew a $40,000 prize on the November 18 show. The category was “phrase,” and by the time Sweet made his guess, the puzzle was nearly complete.
“CA_ED’ ‘_ _’ ‘_AND,” was what was left after Sweet picked the letters C, D, M, and A, plus an “F” from his Wild Card. At first, the young contestant’s “Cleared in hand” seemed like a good bet, but as the clock ticked out, it was wrong. The real answer? “Carved By Hand”—a tough one that irked both Sweet and the audience.
Even Vanna White, who’d been waiting eagerly for the reveal, threw up her hands in dismay after the wrong guess. Seacrest, hosting since 2021, quickly offered comfort. “You were close. This one’s tricky,” he told Sweet. He then flipped the gold prize card to show the $40,000 Sweet had missed, but didn’t stop there. “Tough break,” he added, “Even with that head start,” referring to the Wild Card.