Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Misses Out On $55k After Failing To Solve This Tough Puzzle

“Wheel of Fortune” viewers are once again crying foul after a contestant came painfully close to winning big — only to lose out on a huge cash prize thanks to what fans are calling an “unfair” bonus puzzle.

Jess Perri, who had dominated the game all night, was poised to walk away with $94,000 in total winnings. Instead, she ended the episode with $39,000 — and a mix of shock, laughter, and disbelief.

The episode, which aired this week, had all the ingredients of a dramatic finale. Perri stormed through the competition, solving both Toss-Up puzzles right out of the gate. Her quick thinking helped her secure an early lead and left the other contestants scrambling to catch up. By the time the Speed Up round ended, she had racked up multiple wins, including a dream vacation to Amelia Island, Florida.

But the night took a surprising turn when Perri advanced to the Bonus Round. She chose the category “People” and joined new host Ryan Seacrest at the famous wheel — only to get an unexpected surprise from her mother, who joined her on stage sporting a cast on her arm.

“Happy birthday!” Seacrest said, noting that Perri’s mom had just celebrated the day before. “But, she’s got a cast on. You don’t know what happened because it just happened.” Perri looked stunned, admitting she had no idea how her mom got injured. “It’s a surprise,” her mother teased.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only surprise of the night.

After spinning the wheel and selecting her Golden Envelope, Perri faced what seemed like a deceptively simple two-word puzzle. With the usual “R, S, T, L, N, E” revealed, she picked “M, C, D, and O” as her bonus letters. When the board lit up, it barely offered any help:

_ _ _D _ _ _ERS

As the timer began counting down, Perri started rattling off guesses. “Book Lovers!” she called out with confidence — but that wasn’t the answer. She quickly followed with “Food Lovers,” “Wood Lovers,” and even “Quad Lovers,” yet none of them hit the mark.

When time ran out, Vanna White revealed the answer: “Avid Hikers.”

The realization hit hard — and it got worse when Seacrest revealed that Perri had missed out on a $55,000 prize that would’ve brought her total to $94,000.

Still, Perri stayed upbeat, cheering and celebrating her hard-earned winnings. But fans weren’t nearly as forgiving.

“‘Avid Hikers’? Come on. Who says that?” one frustrated viewer posted on YouTube. Another fan commented, “That puzzle was impossible. No one talks like that.”

Many long-time watchers accused the show of setting contestants up to fail with increasingly obscure bonus puzzles. “They just don’t want to give out the money,” one fan wrote on X.

Even so, Perri’s good humor and sportsmanship made her a favorite among fans — proving that while she didn’t take home the $94,000, she certainly won over the audience.

And as “Wheel of Fortune” continues its transition into the Ryan Seacrest era, viewers are hoping that next time, the puzzles will be a little fairer — and a lot less confusing.