‘Wheel of Fortune’ Player Misses $70,000 After ‘Deal or No Deal’ Disaster
A famous Deal or No Deal catchphrase stumped a contestant on Tuesday night’s (January 7) episode of Wheel of Fortune, causing them to miss out on a massive $70,000 cash prize.
The contestant in question was law student Nicole Robinson from Sugar Land, Texas, who told host Ryan Seacrest she has been cancer-free for five years. Robinson faced off against Channing Hans from Los Angeles, California, and David Quinn from Chicago Heights, Illinois.
Robinson proved to be a force to be reckoned with from the very start, nailing the Round 1 puzzle and the Mystery Round puzzle to give her an early lead of $5,200, plus the Wild Card wedge.
Her game slowed down a little in the Express Round as Quinn made a comeback, solving the puzzle to take the lead with $10,000, in addition to a trip to Los Cabos.
Not to be deterred, Robinson stepped up her game in the Triple Toss Up, solving all three puzzles before going on to nail the final Speed-Up puzzle. This gave her an episode-winning total of $13,000 and saw her through to the Bonus Round.
After selecting the “Thing” category and introducing her husband, Cory, her son Cole, and her sister, Crystal, Robinson picked the additional letters “A, C, G, and H.” Unfortunately, only one of those letters appeared in the two-word puzzle, which read, “_ _ N A L / _ _ _ E R .”
As the ten-second timer began, Robinson struggled to figure it out, guessing “Canal Liner” and trying to sound out the words.
Unable to come up with the correct response, Vanna White revealed the answer to Robinson as “Final Offer,” a saying well-known among game show fans, as it served as a catchphrase for Howie Mandel and contestants on Deal or No Deal.
Seacrest then opened the prize envelope to reveal Robinson lost out on a huge $70,000. “Still, you’re walking away with $13,000,” the American Idol host said. “It was nice to meet you, and I’m glad you’re doing well.”
Wheel fans jumped onto social media to react to the Bonus Round, with many pointing out the connection to Deal or No Deal.
“That puzzle gave Deal or No Deal vibes,” wrote one YouTube commenter.
“A deal or no deal sort of vibe here. A great tribute to host Howie Mandel,” said another.
Another added, “Howie: “This is your final offer. (Contestant’s name), deal or no deal?”
“I got the top word, but not the bottom word. This was a tricky one, for sure. That’s alright, because Nicole’s got $13,000. Great job!” said another.
“This puzzle was ridiculously tough. You either call the “F” or you get no consonant help. possibly if she called the “O” for a vowel. But really, it’s go big or go home: either call the “F” or like 99.9999% sure you’re not solving this puzzle,” one commenter wrote.
“I honestly thought the top word was canal. But then the bottom word would make no sense so I got lost,” another added.
What did you think of Tuesday’s Bonus Round puzzle? Did you get it correct? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Wheel of Fortune, Weeknights, check local listings
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Comments are closed on this story.
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G
To me this puzzle was NOT a Thing it was a PHRASE! A Thing is sometbing physical, am I missing something?!?
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C
Calling it a category of thing and not Phrase is misleading.
3
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O
I was sad for Nicole, a fellow Houstonian, but delighted for myself! My audience question to Ryan and Vanna was featured at the end of the show! I could not have been more shocked when I saw my name on national TV! I’m an avid Wheel Watcher and apparently so are my friends and family! I am now a local ‘celebrity’. Thank you to the WOF producers for making this lady from Friendswood, TX, a very happy fan!
2
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O
What was the answer?
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O
How in the world could it be canal, with the a already chosen?
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B
Final offer
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B
Proud of myself because I got it pretty quickly. Not sure it would have been so easy for me if I had to come up with it with the pressure of millions watching me. Lol
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G
Quick Study
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G
Quick Study
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G
I got it right away
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P
What the hell is the problem
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O
Rediculous
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P
How did she make it to the end,!
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G
I got the answer, it was easy for me.....
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O
Final winner
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G
Did she say cannibal liner wth lol
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O
I think it was fair. You get to choose consonants, it's a matter of luck.
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O
Ryan Seacrest 😍💛
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C
What am I missing here, people? No way this final puzzle was close to being "ridiculously tough!"
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O
This puzzle was definitely a great example of "you know it right away or it's a wrap" 🤣
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O
Were you watching the show or will you just reading this article because when you read what the title of the article is it gives the answer away so how smart are you really and are you staying in front of millions of people
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