‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant ‘Cries’ After ‘Awful’ Puzzle Costs Her $40,000
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Wheel of Fortune viewers are complaining once again after a contestant on Tuesday’s (February 27) episode lost out on $40,000 after another confusing Bonus Round puzzle.
Amy Chumbley, a kindergarten teacher from Lubbock, Texas, was on a roll as she took on fellow contestants Kyle Gilbrech, from Los Angeles, California, and Shamara Walker, from Lithonia, Georgia. By the end of the Express Round, Chumbley already had a significant lead with $21,710 cash, plus a trip to Iceland.
The married mother of two continued to impress in the following rounds, giving her an episode-winning total of $27,510 and advancing to the Bonus Round for a chance to add even more to her earnings.
Chumbley selected the “Place” category and “M, H, C, and I” as her additional letters. Unfortunately, those choices didn’t shed much light on the tough three-word puzzle.
As the ten-second timer started, the board read “_ I _ E E M _ T _ _ I E L _.”
Chumbley struggled to come up with an answer, desperately guessing the words “Pile” and “Emits” before the clock ran down.
Vanna White then revealed the correct answer as “Wide Empty Field.”
Chumbley groaned upon seeing the answer and pretended to cry. “She’s crying on the air,” host Pat Sajak quipped before opening the prize envelope and revealing Chumbley missed out on an extra $40,000.
There was a reason Chumbley almost broke into tears, as she explained in the YouTube comments of the Bonus Round clip.
“I almost cried because my sister’s husband is a cotton and wheat farmer and works in a “wide open field”…but most certainly not empty! haha! This was an experience of a lifetime!” she wrote.
Wheel of Fortune/YouTube
While Chumbley took the loss in good spirits, some viewers felt like she was scuppered by another “awful” Bonus Round puzzle.
“Wide open field yes..wide empty field no! Awful!” wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter).
“Wide empty” is not a thing people say,” said a fellow commenter, while another added, “That was one of the worst final puzzles.”
“A “wide empty field”??” questioned another confused viewer.
Another added, “Wide empty field” ….wtf is that @WheelofFortune… words nobody has ever said.”
This marks the latest Bonus Round controversy, as some fans have recently accused the show of making the puzzles too hard.
What do you think? Would you have been able to answer this puzzle? Let us know in the comments below.
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