Wheel of Fortune is one of the longest-running and most popular game shows in television history.
A big part of the fun for Wheel fans is playing along at home and solving word puzzles that stump the contestants.
But one Florida woman suffered one huge embarrassment on Wheel of Fortune after she gave this shocking answer.
Florida woman bombed a Wheel puzzle in spectacular fashion
Kimberly Wright of Apopka, Florida, had a turn on Wheel of Fortune that she wishes she could just simply forget.
Wright was faced with a puzzle where just one letter remained.
“DUCK – _ ILLED PLATYPUS.”
The answer was obvious to everyone sitting at home watching on television, and the entire studio audience.
“Duck-Billed Platypus.”
But in the pressure of the moment and under the bright lights of national television, Wright completely froze up.
Of course, it could happen to anyone.
For her final letter guess Wright decided to go with the letter “f.”
“Duck-Filled Platypus” wasn’t the right answer, of course.
After her epic flub, Wright’s fellow contestant Marie Kioski got to solve the layup puzzle and take home $7,250 in cash.
Kioski also won a trip to the Margaritaville Vacation Club Rio Mar in Puerto Rico valued at $7,863.
What the Duck? – Social media reacts to the “duck-filled” answer
Wright found out the hard way that if you are ever on a game show and botch an easy answer, you’d better stay off social media.
Of course, every online game show fan is an “expert” since they aren’t the ones on the clock, and they have the benefit of Google to look up any answer they want.
“Oh my, that was painful. F??” one X user wrote. “She thought the platypus was filled? with what exactly? #WheelOfFortune.”
“This lady said ‘f’ #wheeloffortune,” another posted on X.
“Man, #WheelOfFortune can be just depressing sometimes,” a third wrote in response to Wright’s blunder.
“Oh, I hope [she] isn’t on social media,” a fourth added. “She gonna get blasted for missing that puzzle #WheelOfFortune.”
Wright’s wasn’t the worst Wheel blunder
But Wright shouldn’t feel too bad.
In a March 2023 episode, Khushi Talluru of Colorado Springs was on an episode featuring teenage contestants when she too panicked.
Talluru also faced a puzzle with one letter missing.
“FRE_H TROPICAL FRUIT”
The answer to “FRESH TROPICAL FRUIT” also seemed obvious to everyone watching at home.
But Talluru froze and didn’t know what to do, at which point host Pat Sajak told her she needed to “‘solve it or spin,’ but do something quickly.”
Talluru said she would like to solve the puzzle.
“What letter for you,” Sajak asked.
“I’ll go with a…G?” a clearly nervous Talluru blurted out.
“What!” an audience member could be heard shouting.
Pat Sajak stepped in to show why he’s been a beloved host for decades when he quickly diffused any embarrassment by rushing to the teen’s defense.
“You know, when that happens when you’re sitting at home, you’re thinking: “How in the world?” but sometimes it’s just a word that doesn’t want to come into focus,” Sajak stated.