‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Are Fuming as Contestant Loses $57,000 After Turning Down Extra Money

Fans of Wheel of Fortune were left screaming at their TVs after contestant Terry Smith decided to pass on a chance to earn extra money, ultimately costing him a whopping $57,000. 😱

On April 15, Heidi Edwards, the reigning champion from Virginia Beach, returned to compete in the Spring Forward champions tournament with a prize total of $26,390. She played against Terry Smith, a baking enthusiast from Harleysville, Pennsylvania, and Heather Viana, a bookkeeper from Rockland, Massachusetts.

The drama unfolded during the final puzzle. Smith, who was just $900 behind Edwards, had the chance to call for a letter, potentially worth $1,700. But when host Ryan Seacrest asked if he wanted to call a letter first, Smith shocked everyone by simply saying, “Nah. I’ll just solve it.”

Despite knowing the puzzle answer—“Hitting a Grand Slam”—he missed out on a substantial chunk of change. Fans were left baffled as the letter “N” was still on the board, along with a few other missing letters. Smith solved the puzzle for $5,100, bringing his total to $12,200, but he had just lost a golden opportunity to add an additional $1,700, or even more.

Reddit fans erupted with disbelief. “Why didn’t he take the extra money?” one fan wrote. Another chimed in, “I screamed at the TV. How did he not see the missing letters?”

One viewer even said, “I threw my shoe at the TV and yelled words that would make a sailor blush.”

As if the confusion wasn’t enough, Smith later faced more drama during the Bonus Round. After selecting the usual letters—“R,S,T,L,N, and E”—and choosing “H, D, W, and O,” the puzzle board read: “E H _ _ _ N.” Yet, he didn’t make any guesses, simply staring at the puzzle. Seacrest, in disbelief, asked, “Where do you even begin to talk it out?”

The correct answer, “Beach Cabana,” was revealed, and with it, a $45,000 prize. Had Smith made the right choices, his total winnings would have been $57,200. Instead, he walked away with just $12,200.

Smith will return to the show for Thursday’s game, but fans remain in shock over his costly decision.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/