Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in January 2024.

Outraged “Wheel of Fortune” enthusiasts are crying foul, convinced that a contestant, Megan, was unjustly stripped of $40,000 for an answer that might have been spot-on.

Megan, a married high school choir director from California, faced the challenge of unraveling a two-word bonus puzzle under the category of “Living Thing.”

As the wheel spun, host Pat Sajak guided Megan to the puzzle board, revealing the partial phrase “_ N ‘ R _ _ _.’”

Megan, making strategic letter selections, transformed the board to “P_N_’ ‘RC _ D.”

With a mere 10 seconds left, Megan hastily uttered her final guess, sounding like “Pink Orchid” or faintly resembling “Something Orchid.” The correct letters illuminated the board just as the timer buzzed, prompting Megan to audibly express her frustration at the correct answer, “Pink Orchid.”

Sajak, acknowledging Megan’s potential correctness, displayed the prize estimate card, revealing a substantial $40,000—far surpassing the $14,007 she ultimately received.

Viewers watching from their living rooms couldn’t fathom the outcome, expressing their discontent to Wheel of Fortune about Megan’s seemingly unjustly deemed incorrect answer.

“The woman got screwed on #WheelOfFortune bonus puzzle tonight; she totally said ‘PINK ORCHID’ right at the start,” one viewer complained.

“I asked the judges from the first thing she said!! I’m deaf in one ear, and half remaining on right, so I use captions and lip read. She said ‘Pink Orchid’!! No question!!,” defended another fan.