Another day, another memorable moment on Wheel of Fortune. Though it’s usually host Pat Sajak who elicits visceral reactions from fans, people were recently left shocked by a contestant’s mistake.
During a recent taping of the game show’s Teen Week, a competitor named Khushi found herself trying to figure out the answer to a puzzle in the “Food and Drink” category. With all but one letter in the phrase “FRE_ _ TROPICAL FRUIT” filled out on the leaderboard, she only needed one more to complete the round.
But as any player may feel under pressure, Khushi’s nerves appeared to get the best of her and she offered an unexpected letter. “I’ll go with a … G,” she said.
Without skipping a beat, the show’s buzzer went off indicating that the Wheel of Fortune player had gotten it wrong. As it turns out, folks in the live audience weren’t sure how to react, as one person could be heard screaming, “What?!”
While a fellow opponent ended up solving the puzzle and winning a trip to Antigua, Pat reassured Khushi that she tried her best under the circumstances. “You know, when that happens and you’re sitting at home, you’re saying, ‘How in the world?'” he said on the show. “But, you know, sometimes there’s a word that just doesn’t want to come into focus.”
Shortly after, a clip from the moment started going viral on the internet and Wheel of Fortune followers couldn’t help but single out the audience member’s reaction and express their disbelief about the overall moment.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a single audience member audibly have such a violent reaction on Wheel of Fortune, as this lady did when a poor contestant called a G in ‘Fresh,'” one person wrote on Twitter. “This may have been the biggest choke in all of Wheel of Fortune history,” a different follower tweeted. “Did anyone else see that she didn’t get fresh tropical fruit??? And missed out on a whole vacation. GIRL [ARE YOU] KIDDING!!!??!?!?? It was right there!!!” another added.
Needless to say, this won’t be a moment anyone will forget soon …
Editorial Assistant
As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.