‘Wheel of Fortune’ Branded ‘Ripoff’ After First Responder Misses $73,000 Win
Wheel of Fortune fans claimed that the game show was a “ripoff” after a woman who is a first responder missed out on winning more than $73,000. This was the seventh episode in a row where a contestant has lost the Bonus Round.
Alex Puglisi, from Shelton, Connecticut, played against Sam Parker, from Detroit, Michigan, and Dean Bartlett, from Clifford, New Jersey, on Tuesday, May 6. Puglisi is a first responder who travels a lot and is a volunteer EMT in her hometown.
Puglisi, who has a dog named Ripley after Sigourney Weaver’s character in the movie Alien, solved the first toss-up, giving her $1,000 right away. Bartlett, a daredevil who loves scuba diving and ziplining, solved the second one.
For the first puzzle, Bartlett had bad luck as he kept landing on Bankrupt after guessing one letter on each of his turns. Puglisi solved “Partly Breezy Mostly Beautiful” for $2,950. On the second puzzle, Puglisi solved all but four letters before going Bankrupt. Bartlett solved “Going on a Winning Streak” to give him $4,100, putting him in the lead.
Puglisi retook the lead when she won the prize puzzle and a trip on the Alpine rail tour. This gave her $13,649. She also solved all three of the Triple Toss-Ups, putting an extra $10,000 in her bank.
After only two letters were called in the final puzzle, Bartlett solved “My Best Guess.” This gave him a final total of $5,700. Parker, a man who went back to school at 48 and got his degree at 52, didn’t win any money, so Wheel of Fortune sent him home with $1,000. Puglisi won the game with $23,469 and advanced to the Bonus Round.
Puglisi chose “Phrase” for the Bonus Round puzzle. She brought her parents, Liz and Jim, with her to cheer her on.
After Wheel of Fortune gave her an “R,S,T,L,N, and E,” she chose “C,D,P, and O.” Her puzzle then looked like “ON T_E _ _ _E_O_.” As the timer counted down, Puglisi guessed “On the Endzone,” “On the Ride out,” but she couldn’t figure out the last word.
Host Ryan Seacrest told her it was “On the Jukebox.” She lost out on an additional $50,000 to give her $73,000.
After her Bonus Round was posted to YouTube, fans said how much of a ripoff it was. “Ripoff puzzle. What kind of phrase is that? Whoever said that or heard of that in their lifetime, really?!?” one said.
“I’ve never heard of ‘On The Jukebox’ in my life, and I’m a sucker for 1970’s and 1980’s memorabilia,” said another.
“That was tough!! Who would choose a j, k, or an x? If b, maybe a chance, but still tough!!” commented a third.
“That was a difficult puzzle with some unusual letters with J, K and X,” another commented.
“This is unfair. What kind of phrase is this?” asked one fan.
“That puzzle made no sense,” one last Wheel watcher wrote.
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Comments are closed on this story.
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B
It’s a very old phrase, definitely needed to take a risk with the letter guessing there. But as for people losing in the final round: it’s supposed to be difficult. Players are not supposed to have an easy time figuring it out. This may come as a shock to some people but they don’t actually want contestants winning the big prize every night.
29 2
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O
There's quite a few phrases on the Wheel that I'd never heard of before, but my age ages me. I'm almost 76 and back then music at restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. played On The Jukebox!
19 2
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A
Why is everything in articles about WOF negative? Sometimes the contestant simply does not know the answer. Slamming the show about that or the degree of difficulty of a puzzle is pointless.
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B
Exactly so pointless is supposed to be more tricky and difficult most of the time only here and there they ease up so someone can have higher chances of getting the bonus puzzle money
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G
I've heard that phrase before. There was no rip off. She just didn't guess it.
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K
Wheel of Fortune has nothing to do with the outcome. Some of the TV shows even have jukeboxes. It’s not Wheel of Fortunes fault that she didn’t pick the correct letters. I don’t see a problem with this. People who go on the show should study phrases and different things like that. She could’ve picked a different category and the outcome could have been different. Just like Jeopardy the people need to study before they go on the show. Just because whatever her job is, doesn’t mean that she should win the show. They are not rigged for people to win. What about all the middle class or poor people that go on the show to try to win they don’t win either but you don’t hear about them. Just frustrated. I love this show.
9 2
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R
Stop crying
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R
Since Ryan came on board the Final
Jeopardy answers have become asinine.
9 4
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R
Ryan isn't on Jeopardy.
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R
I was born in 1980 and on the jukebox is something I would say. Every diner had a jukebox and we would put coins in to listen to the songs on the jukebox. However it's 2025 and that phrase is about 30 years away from anybody having said it. You might go to a bar and they might have a jukebox but do they even call it that anymore? You have to keep the phrases up to date.
5 1
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R
Where did you hear that song. Back in the 50s,60s. On the jukebox. Had to be in your 70s now.
5 1
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O
This means any sentence can be a phrase, totally unfair!
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O
What about the contestant who couldn't get In _ fi_?
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C
WOF employees are morons. Their goal is to make sure no one wins the bonus round. Most of the time they are successful.
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O
Wheel of Fortune should be renamed "WHEEL OF FLUBS"!!!
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B
I really think the Wheel of Fortune has gotten really bad for there final puzzles… I have noticed in the last few years some of the final puzzles are really horrible… I believe the shows writers and producers must be on drugs …. What the heck is “On the Jukebox”??? Someone explain that to me so that I may understand it… is it part of a new language I am not aware of… DUH !!! Very Disappointed in Wheel of Fortune to say the least….
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B
That entire show is rigged. Every night, the ones with the most money get the bankrupt, sometimes all three of them. Also, some guess the correct answer with only 2-3 letters on the most impossible puzzles. This show is more a fraud than the $64,000 Question was in the 1960’s.
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O
I say...if it's a phrase then it's
Perceived to be commonly used. Smh - (on the jukebox??) a statement at best
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B
Ya well let's just make it easy so everyone is a winner right whinny dumb Americans
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C
So this First Responder should win no matter what. Screw everyone else, but because she volunteers in her community and is a First Responder she needs to win and got screwed over. You people must all be Liberals, everyone gets a trophy.
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O
This is so silly and making a big deal out of nothing. 'Blame' the contestant for not choosing letters that would have helped her, not the program that has to come up with the puzzles 🤦🏻♀️ The 'everyone gets a trophy' generation front and center on this 'problem'.
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B
You missed the point, Peanut. "On the jukebox" is a phrase said by nobody.
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G
I agree with the critics. Stupid old fashioned phrase. J,K, and X letters? Come on! It’s like JAZZY in Wordle.
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P
Yeah the song is on the jukebox but she would have had to guess the J to figure it out
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G
What's on the jukebox? was a popular phrase when I was younger. So it did exist it's just an old expression.
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B
I never heard it said....ever. Been around plenty of juxeboxes
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C
Wheel long ago ran out of relevant phrases.
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G
Of course the show picks puzzles with letters people don't usually choose so they don't give out as much money! They aren't going to make it really easy. That's just the way it is. These articles are annoying.
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O
Dumb phrase
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R
I am 70 and I remember as a young teen going to a particular cafe in my hometown because they had jukeboxes at the tables. We all went because of the songs they had on the jukebox.
Haven't used that phrase since then.
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C
I seriously doubt that
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G
I ate at a restaurant that had jukeboxes at every booth. It was an older restaurant, no longer open, but it was fun.
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R
I'm 44 and they had those jukeboxes on the tables in the 1990s. I distinctly remember making my mother put quarters in the machine so I could listen to I want to dance with somebody by Whitney Houston. They have been around a lot longer than you think. However that was 35 years ago give or take. They were taken away around the 2000s and it's been 25 years since anybody has said the term. They should still not have used that
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P
I remember my song was on the jukebox. Makes sense to me
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G
Was a GMA fan ( plus yrs) until 2015 when politics took over. Their preferences kept emerging when all I wanted were the facts.Today has been good. Really miss Sheneille and her genuine joyful personality. She should be Co-Host of the 4th hr!
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