‘Wheel of Fortune' Fans Lose It Over Contestant's $57K Slip-Up
‘Wheel of Fortune' viewers had a lot to say after one contestant's decision cost him a serious payday.
During the Wednesday, April 15 episode, returning champion Heidi Edwards faced off against Terry Smith and Heather Viana as part of the show's Spring Forward champions tournament. But it was Smith's final-round choice that quickly became the moment everyone was talking about.
Heading into the last puzzle, Smith was well within distance of the lead. When the board came his way, he opted to solve it right away instead of calling an additional letter - even after host Ryan Seacrest nudged him to reconsider.
"Are you sure you don't want to call a letter first?" Seacrest asked, pointing out the opportunity to earn more money. "Nah. I'll just solve it," Smith replied.
He correctly answered "Hitting a Grand Slam," earning $5,100 and a spot in the Bonus Round, but he quietly left something big behind. By skipping that extra guess, Smith passed up at least $1,700, with some viewers pointing out it could have been even more.
READ MORE: ‘Wheel of Fortune' Slammed Over ‘Bogus' Bonus Round Puzzle
Online, reactions poured in fast on Reddit.
"‘Do you want some extra money?' ‘No thanks. I'll just solve.' ETA: At least Ryan tried…." one fan wrote.
Others were just as stunned. My jaw dropped when Ryan asked and he opted out of the extra money," another replied. "I am watching it by myself and screaming at the TV. Why???" a third exclaimed.
Another chimed in, sharing that some contestants might not be familiar with the game. "I understand it. The contestants don’t watch the show. They don’t know the rules. They don’t know how to play."
The missed opportunity only got bigger in hindsight. In the Bonus Round, Smith selected "Place" but couldn't solve the puzzle, choosing "H,D,W, and O," after the show gave him "R,S,T,L, N and E." The answer turned out to be "Beach Cabana," and the envelope revealed $45,000 - bringing his potential total to $57,200. Fans were quick to critique his letter choices in the bonus round as well.
Instead, he walked away with $12,200, while Edwards finished with $34,390 over two days.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 1:45 PM.