Additional Coverage:
- ‘Wheel of Fortune’ fans unhappy with contestant who failed to solve easy puzzle worth $40,000 (marketrealist.com)
“Wheel of Fortune” Contestant’s Near Miss Leaves Fans Stunned After $40,000 Bonus Round Loss
A recent episode of “Wheel of Fortune” saw contestant Ron Sheppard deliver a strong performance throughout the main game, only to stumble in the Bonus Round, missing out on a substantial $40,000 prize and leaving viewers at home scratching their heads.
Sheppard, a Marine veteran, started strong, quickly solving the first two Toss-Up puzzles to secure an early lead with $8,500. However, his competitor, Green, mounted a fierce comeback in the Express Round, snagging a trip to British Columbia valued at $8,768 and momentarily taking the lead with $14,668. Undeterred, Sheppard rallied in the Triple Toss-Up round, solving two out of three puzzles to ultimately claim victory for the night with a total of $20,000.
Advancing to the Bonus Round, Sheppard chose the “Thing” category. With host Ryan Seacrest by his side, he selected his additional letters, which, combined with the standard R, S, T, L, N, E, presented him with the puzzle: O _ _ E C T _ _ E O _ _ N _ O N.
As the ten-second timer began, Sheppard initially offered a rather unusual guess: “A Lecture Onion.” He then shifted closer to the correct answer with “Objectionable Opinion,” but time ultimately ran out before he could land on the solution.
Co-host Vanna White revealed the correct answer: “Objective Opinion.” The revelation that he had missed out on an additional $40,000, which would have brought his total winnings to $60,000, was a tough pill to swallow.
While Sheppard took the loss in stride, fans on social media were quick to express their surprise and disappointment. “That should’ve been solved.
We need a winner tomorrow to avoid the shutout,” commented one viewer on YouTube. Another added, “I got it as soon as the countdown started.
That’s a pretty weird thing to call a ‘thing’, but still a very solvable puzzle with the letters he picked. Congrats to him nonetheless, on his $20K total.”