‘Wheel of Fortune’ Blasted After Contestant Loses $100,000 on ‘Ridiculous’ Puzzle
Wheel of Fortune has been slammed by fans after a contestant lost out on $100,000 after being given a “ridiculous puzzle.” Viewers said it was the “toughest puzzle ever” with some saying that it was “impossible” to solve.
The controversy came as the episode on Friday May 2 capped off a week when none of the Bonus Round contestants won their puzzles.
The player who missed out was Kristyn Hobbs, from Fort Cobb Lake, Oklahoma, who competed against Annelorrie Brown, from Wellington, Illinois, and David Fisch, from Brooklyn, New York, on Friday, May 2. Hobbs shared that her husband recently built her a greenhouse and she planted over 1,500 seedlings.
She solved the first two toss-ups, putting $2,000 in her bank. The game didn’t start off well as all three game show contestants landed on Bankrupt during the first puzzle. Brown, a self-proclaimed fashionista, solved most of the puzzle, but couldn’t figure out the last letter. Fisch, who loves layovers in airports, wound up solving the puzzle, giving him $1,000.
The same thing happened on the next puzzle. Fisch solved most of the letters. When he called a wrong one, Hobbs solved “I want to hold your hand-me-downs,” winning the money. Fisch explained that he wasn’t thinking of the word “hold.”
During the third puzzle, Hobbs landed on the Wild Card to use in the Bonus Round. She also rode the express train but guessed the wrong letter and went Bankrupt. She solved “Exploring the Jungle” and won a trip to Peru. This gave her a total of $14,000, putting her in the lead.
Hobbs solved two out of the three Triple Toss-Ups. Fisch solved the other one. He also solved the final puzzle — “Clever Endeavor.” Fisch ended with $14,400. Brown had no money so Wheel of Fortune gave her $1,000. Hobbs had $18,000 and a trip to Peru. She advanced to the Bonus Round.
During the Bonus Round, Hobbs brought her sister, Shannon, and her friend, Amy, with her. After spinning the wheel, she landed on the ampersand.
Hobbs chose “What are you doing?” Wheel of Fortune gave her “R,S,T,L,N, and E.” She chose “G,C,H, and I.” Hobbs lost the Wild Card after going Bankrupt in the previous round.
Her puzzle then looked like “R_ _ _ _GING IN THE _ _C_ _ _R_.” As the clock counted down, Hobbs didn’t guess anything.
“It’s a big puzzle to solve,” host Ryan Seacrest said. The puzzle was “Rummaging in the Backyard.” He revealed the envelope, which had $100,000 in it. Hobbs threw her hands on her head and groaned.
At the end of the show, Seacrest told his cohost, Vanna White, that he got excited because he knew the $100,000 was in the envelope, but then Hobbs didn’t win it. None of the Bonus Round contestants that week won.
However, fans called Hobbs’ Bonus Round puzzle ridiculous. “The writers who concocted that ridiculous puzzle are responsible for the loss, not Kristyn. Be honest: how many times in your life have you said the phrase, ‘I’m rummaging around in the backyard’—? You might say, ‘I’m rummaging around in the… closet…garage…junk drawer…’etc., but not the backyard. Unless your backyard is a junkyard! This was impossible in 10 seconds for the contestant,” a YouTube user wrote.
“No one rummages in the backyard!!!” said another.
“That’s gotta be one of the toughest bonus puzzles I’ve ever seen,” commented a third. It was “impossible,” added another viewer.
“I got rummaging, but I couldn’t get ‘backyard’ obviously because nobody rummages through their backyard,” said another.
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Comments are closed on this story.
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G
I said exactly that, "Who would say RUMMAGING in the backyard"? No one ever, unless their backyard is a junkyard!
35 3
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R
Or depending where you live "Tripping in the backyard"
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O
Intentionally impossible to solve, as are many of the bonus round puzzles.
30 1
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G
I am so glad I'm not alone in my outraged reaction to "rummaging in the backyard." You "rummage" in spaces where a lot of items are crammed together: a closet, a drawer, a trunk -- not in wide open spaces like the backyard!
25 3
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O
Puzzle depends on how much game is willing to loose. Also could they have a magnet to stop the wheel where they want to.
20 4
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P
The wheel on WoF and Price Is Right are absolutely and completely rigged
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O
Puzzle was okay if you got a garbage hole in your backyard and if you got a lot of stuff you could rummage around your backyard it's a game for crying out loud
16 2
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B
I guessed it despite it not making sense. Got RUMMAGING quickly and BACKYARD was the only word that fit the spaces, but it’s not a thing.
16 4
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C
It’s a ridiculous puzzle but I actually guessed it lol
11 1
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R
This show will cancel soon
10 4
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P
I think she chose the topic and the letters. It may be ridiculous, but it's a game and they are not just to make everything so easy, then everyone would win. If she chose different letters, she may have guessed it.
11 8
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B
And she totally wasted the I and G.
3 1
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P
Definitely. What are you doing makes one of your words end with "ing." So unless they are in your phrase multiple times, not a good guess. 'A' would have been a better vowel choice.
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O
The Puzzle wasn't ridiculous......The obvious letters chosen by contestant was ridiculous.
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P
I agree, I don't understand why they guess the g and the i when those are a gimmy. This drives me crazy every time.
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C
the H is more concerning. They had the T&E. Had to have already known the word
2 1
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P
They're hoping those letters appear more than once and they are guaranteed so they can focus on other letters. Not necessarily the best choice.
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G
Come on people it is a game show not a here take our money show...stop complaining if you don t like it don t watch it....look it up you can "rummage " anywhere...
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P
I stopped watch Wheel because I always felt they had a cheating system. This does not surprise me at all! Cheapest game show ever!!
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O
This show has gone downhill fast since bringing Seacrest on. Millions of people in the world and this clown keeps getting the job. Didn't take long to figure out that Pat was the show not this bafoon!
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C
Time for new writers who speak American English colouqlialisms like Americans since that is the country the show is held in. Contestant should be invited back.
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G
What, we're just using random words now? What's the next bonus round going to be? " Green pickle flavored one winged car"??
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C
And that's why I don't watch anymore
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R
That was a hard one.to me it made no sense. I never heard any body say that phrase.
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C
S**t happens.
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P
None of these phrases are anything a normal person uses
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G
I agree. Not a real phrase.
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O
Who the heck rummages in the backyard?!?!
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C
They picked bad letters. H to finish out T_E was really dumb. And "What are you doing almost always has a ING, so why waste a letter on G and I? Many players go with CDM which might get you there.
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G
It's a game!
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O
I've done lots of things in my backyard, but I don't think I've ever rummaged it.... what a dumb puzzle
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O
They've been putting stupid nonsense puzzles. That no one would ever say or do. Not cool wof. Making up stupid puzzles is pretty low. Keep it real or wof will be no more. Ryan would like that. Need someone else he just isn't good.
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P
Stop complainimg
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O
Makes me wonder what the backyards of WOF producers must look like! 😱
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O
The puzzles have gotten stupider..!!!
And the bonus prize of 40 Grand again..?!!!!!
(that's like really getting boring..)
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P
Stopped watching due to the way contestants play. You came to Wheel of Fortune and have one shot to make money. First round the player gets bankrupt Next person to go has no money. There are three or four of the same letter. Instead of spinning they solve the puzzle. Why bother coming on the show. Final round consonants are worth $5,000…. What does the player do… I would like to sole the puzzle instead of calling a letter. More times than I can recall the bonus prize is always $40,000. Ryan is good but he is no Pat Sajak.
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P
I think that was a rediculous puzzle.
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O
I guessed it before reading the article.
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R
The writers ALWAYS set the contestants to fail
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P
Calling BS!!! There have been harder puzzles than that!!!!
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G
feels like AI to me
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J
They need to show the puzzle constantly on screen for the viewers at home, not interesting just watching three participants behind a desk. Or, split screen.
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O
They need to keep the puzzle on the TV screen for viewers at home to play along. Or have a split screen. Just watching players at some desk is NOT exciting.
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G
I don't understand why anyone enjoys this game. SMH. The only thing good about it is Vanna & her stellar outfits.
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O
I almost stopped watching when they use ridiculously obscure puzzles. Not fun, not fair.
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O
I got it. Not really that hard.
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G
First she should not picked G,H, WE All know they were there!!!! If she would of picked K,M, I was good vowel choice, she would of had chance to solve puzzle,100,000 where million is if she had.million card, oh well,she made that far
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P
Had she chosen the popular "c,d,m,a" she'd have got it.
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C
What a hot mess.
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G
Ridiculous puzzle. I got it, probably took more than 10 seconds though. There has been a lot of 'bad' puzzles and I'm suspecting, if there are any writers left, they are turning to AI. There's been a noticeable change in the phrasing of puzzles lately.
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P
How would we know, they showed Thursdays 2nd half of the episode.
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O
Totally agree - if you’re going to put up a puzzle, it should be a common saying - not something your average person has never heard. The writers need to do better.
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R
WOF has made most puzzles hard to solve. The only catagory left that was easy was Phrase, but recently they have intentionally made that difficult as well by coming up with phrases of their own that are never before heard. I call it cheating. A "phrase" should be well known.
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R
They can only give away so much at a time so they always make some puzzles purposely hard depending on the $ previously paid out.
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O
I hate to believe it but have certainly thought that at times.
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R
I'm planning on rummaging in the backyard today. Then, will rummage: in the sock drawer, in the shoe box holding my hockey card collection, in the nude.
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G
In that context, "back yard" (as the location where the rummaging occurs) should have been two words
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O
People rummage in the backyards, front yards all the time.. yard sales. Or taking care of a elderly family member. You rummage before you mow.. it all depends on the letters that would be picked.
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B
NO ONE,ABSOLUTELY NO ONE RUMMAGES THRU THE BACKYARD....REALLY ????
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