A Wheel of Fortune contestant went home with a bucket load of embarrassment after getting an “easy” puzzle wrong.
Playing along with game shows at home is easy because the pressure is off when you’re sitting on your sofa.
Ryan Seacrest has taken over from Pat Sajak on the Wheel of Fortune. Credit: Manny Carabel/Getty
But under the lights of a studio, knowing that loads of people are watching your every move, things get a bit trickier.
Well, I imagine this is the case, I once had an interview for The Chase but they never got back to me – presumably because they knew I was too good and would win too much money.
But I digress, what I’m trying to say is that the following story is easy to laugh at, but you’ve got to feel for the unlucky contestant as well.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the Wheel of Fortune, the incredibly popular game show has been running for almost a whopping 50 years.
It sees contestants trying to solve word puzzles in exchange for cash and prizes determined by spinning a giant carnival-like wheel.
The current season is hosted by Ryan Seacrest, who took over from long-time host Pat Sajak following his retirement.
Despite it being only Seacrest’s second week as host, the show has already delivered a moment of high drama and disappointment.
Contestant Vivian Tran was just one word away from the million-dollar prize in the bonus round.
“My heart is racing, this is a first for me,” Seacrest said as Tran prepared to spin the wheel. “You’re playing for a $1 million.”
He explained that the show had replaced its usual $100,000 envelope with a $1,000,000 option.
After spinning, Tran was presented with a puzzle in the category “What Are You Doing?” She chose the letters C, H, M, I, and P, along with an extra letter from a wild card.
Co-host Vanna White revealed the letters on the board, leaving the puzzle as “_ _ _ E R I N G, S _ M E, HELP.”
As the clock ticked down, Tran began guessing: “Wondering some help? Answering some help? Looking around for some help? Boundary for help?”
Unfortunately, none of her answers were correct.
The correct solution was revealed as “Offering some help,” a realization that left Tran emotional.
The disappointment deepened when Seacrest opened the envelope she had selected, revealing the $1,000,000 prize inside.
Despite the tough loss, Tran didn’t walk away empty-handed. She still took home $27,300 and won a trip to Europe.
Luckily for Tran, many understood her pain and took to the comments to offer support.
“I’m proud of Vivian for holding it together. I’d be crying on live TV if I missed out on a million dollars like that,” one person said.
A second added: “If you watched this episode on television and solved this puzzle, this would be one of those moments where you hate yourself that you were right.”
A third person said: “What makes this even more tragic is that the puzzle was SO EASY. ITS BEEN 10 YEARS!!! WE NEED A ANOTHER WINNER!!!”
You’ve got to feel for her, she was agonizingly close to taking home $1,000,000, but alas, it wasn’t to be.
