It was a moment that had fans shouting at their screens and host Ryan Seacrest scratching his head. On the November 18 episode of Wheel of Fortune, contestant Joey Sweet, a program director from Oceanside, California, came painfully close to winning the $40,000 bonus round prize—only to watch it slip through his fingers in a single guess.
What unfolded in the final seconds was both baffling and unforgettable.
A Puzzle Nearly Solved… Almost
The bonus round category was “Phrase”, and Sweet had a strong setup. After selecting his letters—C, D, M, and A—along with a bonus letter “F” thanks to his Wild Card wedge, the board read:
“CA_ED’ ‘_ _’ ‘_AND”
It looked deceptively close. Sweet stared at the board, thinking hard, then confidently guessed:
“Cleared in hand.”
The studio went silent. The buzzer sounded. And the correct answer popped up:
“Carved By Hand.”
Oof.
Even Vanna White, standing beside the puzzle board, threw up her hands in frustration. Sweet had been close—but in Wheel of Fortune, close doesn’t count in the bonus round.
Seacrest Reacts with Sympathy
Host Ryan Seacrest, who’s helmed the iconic game show since 2021, stepped in to soften the blow. With genuine sympathy, he said:
“You were on the right track. This is a tricky one.”
He then revealed what was at stake—opening the golden prize envelope to show the $40,000 Sweet had just missed out on.
“Tough one,” Seacrest added. “Even with the head start.”
For any viewer watching at home, it was a gut punch. A few more seconds, or one better letter guess, and it could’ve ended differently.
Grace Under Pressure
To his credit, Joey Sweet handled the moment with poise and humor. His reaction?
“It’s okay!”
His cheerful attitude earned applause from the audience and respect online. And despite missing the grand prize, Sweet still walked away with more than $16,000 in cash and a trip to Mexico—not bad for a night’s work.
The Internet Reacts: “That Was Brutal”
A clip of the moment quickly made its way to YouTube, where fans jumped into the comments section to share their reactions. One viewer wrote:
“I don’t think I would have solved that unless I chose the right letters. Tricky one indeed.”
Another pointed out that “By” is one of the hardest two-letter words to guess on the board. It doesn’t show up often, and when it does, it stumps even seasoned viewers.
Over on X (formerly Twitter), one user posted:
“To be fair, ‘By’ is a difficult word to think of when you think of 2-letter words on Wheel. #WheelOfFortune”
The consensus? It was a tough puzzle, and Sweet had done well to get as close as he did.
Not the First Viral Slip-Up
Joey’s blunder followed another viral bonus round moment from the previous week, when contestant Will Jordan, a police officer from Connecticut, had viewers in stitches after guessing:
“Treat yourself a round of sausages.”
The correct solution? “Give yourself a round of applause.”
Social media exploded over the bizarre sausage guess, but also with affection. These moments are why fans keep tuning in. Whether it’s a win, a whiff, or a wildly off-base answer, Wheel of Fortune continues to deliver watercooler-worthy content—decades into its run.
Why These Misses Matter
It’s easy to laugh at the missteps, but anyone who’s ever been in front of hot lights, ticking timers, and a national TV audience knows: it’s harder than it looks. Letter choices matter, pressure builds fast, and the brain doesn’t always cooperate when the stakes are high.
And with Ryan Seacrest bringing a fresh energy to the show and Vanna White’s enduring charm, even small stumbles have a way of becoming big entertainment.
The Final Takeaway
Joey Sweet didn’t walk away with the $40,000, but he did walk away with something just as valuable: the hearts of the audience, a vacation in paradise, and his name forever etched into Wheel of Fortune lore.
And as for “Carved By Hand”? It’ll likely haunt word puzzle lovers for years to come.
