A few hurried words at the end of a Wheel of Fortune puzzle left viewers arguing over a $40,000 prize.
According to EN Fjalaefundit, contestant Megan, a California high school choir director, was trying to solve a bonus-round puzzle in the “Living Thing” category. The answer was “Pink Orchid.”
What she said before the timer expired became the sticking point. Some viewers believed they heard the correct phrase. Others heard something closer to “something orchid.” The show did not award the bonus, and host Pat Sajak revealed that the envelope contained $40,000. Megan finished with $14,007 from the game.
Fans who believed she had solved it challenged the result online, with some saying they replayed the moment to check what they heard.
The headline-making reaction does not itself establish that the judges made a mistake. The dispute comes down to whether Megan clearly gave the complete answer within the allotted time.