‘Wheel of Fortune’ Player Has Stunning $44,000 Win After Bonus Round ‘Mistake’

Wheel of Fortune fans think a contestant made a simple mistake in the Bonus Round that probably cost him an extra $40,000. However, he still won $44,000 during the show after making an impressive comeback.

Benjamin Hunter, from Smyrna, Delaware, played against Chelsea Speights, from Johns Island, South Carolina, and Robert Blomker, from Apple Valley, California, on Monday, May 19. The three game show contestants kicked off Paradise Week, where they have a chance to win a new home.

Speights, a vice principal, solved both of the toss-ups, putting her in the lead with $3,000. However, during the first puzzle, she landed on Bankrupt, making it an even playing field, but, she wound up solving the first puzzle for $5,000.

Blomker then took the lead when he landed on $3,500 during the second puzzle and got two “S’s” from it. He also retained the wild card and ended the round with $9,350.

For the Prize Puzzle, Hunter landed on the $1 million wedge but quickly lost it after landing on Bankrupt. He also could have ridden the express train and solved the whole puzzle, but he guessed the wrong letter, so he went Bankrupt instead after having $5,200 in his bank. Instead, Speights guessed “Practicing Yoga on the Beach,” and won a trip to St. Thomas.

His luck turned around during the Triple Toss Ups and final puzzle. Hunter solved one toss-up for $2,000. During the final puzzle, Blomker landed on $5,000, making every letter in that puzzle worth $6,000 after Wheel of Fortune added $1,000 to the total.

Hunter, a huge pizza lover, solved two “R’s,” three “S’s,” and two “C’s. He solved “Surprising Conclusion,” putting a stunning $42,000 in his bank for a total of $44,000.

“Benjamin, come here!” host Ryan Seacrest said. Hunter picked him up and spun him around. “Look at you!” the host said.

Blomker, a band member who sings girl songs, ended with $11,350. Speights went home with $17,383 and a trip. Hunter advanced to the Bonus Round. However, Wheel of Fortune fans said he made a mistake when he picked “Person” for the round.

“Coming into the end there, you’ve got no money. Then that one tossup and then all of a sudden $44,000,” Ryan Seacrest said. “I love this show so much. The way you can come back like that.”

He brought his wife, Kimberly, with him to cheer him on. After Wheel of Fortune gave him “R,S,T,L,N, and E,” he chose “G,C,M, and I.”

Hunter only got one letter — “M” — and his puzzle then looked like “_ _M_ _S  S_ _R_N_.” He thought the last word was “Sporting” and couldn’t quite guess the full puzzle, which was “Famous Soprano.”

“I’m a bass,” Hunter joked.

“I understand,” Ryan Seacrest said. Hunter lost out on an additional $40,000. He was only one letter away from landing on the envelope with the new home. This makes 16 Bonus Round losses in a row.

Fans reacted to Hunter picking “Person” for the category,” which many said was a mistake. “Why do people pick person as a bonus round category? Always pick phrase if it is available. Still, what a comeback that was. So great to see him pull in all that cash!!! Ryan’s enthusiasm was great to see too,” a Reddit user said.

“I ask this every time they do it. I think that a lot of the contestants are not big fans of the show and don’t think about it like many of us do,” another replied.

“Never ever pick ‘person’,” said another.

During an after-show interview with social correspondent, Maggie Sajak, Hunter revealed that he was “overwhelmed,” but had to win for his wife. He also shared that he is going to let Kimberly do whatever she wants with his winnings.

 

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“That was one of the best comebacks I have ever seen,” Sajak said.