Anyone who has watched a lot of Wheel of Fortune knows there are occasionally some classic Wheel of Fortune fails. They can be pretty cringe-worthy but usually pretty hilarious as well. Especially since Wheel of Fortune is one of the most beloved game shows of all time. Who among us hasn’t spent an engaging half-hour watching along and trying to solve the puzzles from home? And sometimes it seems like it’s such an easy game, right? Well, that’s because solving puzzles from the comfort of your own couch is a lot easier than when the studio lights are glaring down on you and you’re doing it in front of millions of viewers.
In this video, we’re taking a look at the top 10 biggest Wheel of Fortune fails. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, but most of all, you’ll probably scream “How did they get that wrong!” at your screen. So join Facts Verse as we go through our top 10 Wheel of Fortune Fails.
Mythological Hero Achilles
Our first fail happens when a contestant is closing in on the clue, “Mythological Hero Achilles.” At first it seems like he has it all under control. There are a lot of letters already up on the board. And, to be honest, it seems like there is pretty much NO way to get it wrong. This is especially true when the contestant guesses ALL the letters correctly. Clearly he knows the answer. Now it’s just a matter of saying it out loud. That, of course, is when it all goes wrong. Clearly this contestant is familiar with the ancient mythological hero, Achilles. But he’s probably never said it out loud.
At least, that’s what we’re hoping is going on here. Unfortunately when it comes time to say the answer, he mispronounces Achilles so badly, that Pat Sajak and the producers of the show can’t award him the win. It’s a Wheel of Fortune fail of mythological proportions.
Clam, what?
Ok, so we’ll be the first to admit that we also fell for this popular viral Wheel of Fortune fail, assuming it was real. But, according to snopes.com, it’s actually just a clever edit. So while technically it’s a made-up fail, it’s still something that took the internet by storm, so we’re keeping it in here. In the fake clip, a contestant is looking at an almost solved puzzle, with the first word being “clam” and the second word ending in ‘iggers’. It just needs a first letter filled in. Clearly the answer was Clam Diggers.
But some cheeky person on the internet thought it would be funny to take a clip from a different part of that same show, where a contestant asked for the letter ‘N.’ While we obviously won’t get close to saying what that would make the puzzle say, you can probably figure it out. The humor of the clip is in Pat Sajak’s reaction, which the editor grabbed from another moment in the show. Clearly in that clip, Pat is kind of shaking his head in disbelief. And of course, it would be utterly unbelievable – not to mention incredibly offensive – if this really happened. But, fortunately, it did not.
Exclusive Nightclub
In this Wheel of Fortune fail, it truly looks like everything is going right for the contestant. The board is nearly full, and she spins and lands on $10,000. She guesses the letter G, which is on the board. The clue, Exclusive Nightclub, is now only missing the X and the V from exclusive. After one more spin, the contestant guesses another letter… a K. Unfortunately, there’s no K in exclusive, though we can’t blame her too much, since X and K do kinda make the same sound. If only she had just chosen to solve and said the clue out loud! Then no one would have ever known she didn’t know how to spell ‘exclusive.’
Magic Wand
This is a particularly cringe-worthy Wheel of Fortune fail, because it’s such a common and easy phrase. It’s also doubly sad because it happens in the bonus round at the end of the show.
The contestant’s initial letters (plus the R S T L N E that the show automatically gives him) end up populating most of the letter of the clue. He knows the first word is Magic, but then can’t figure out the second word. The contestant starts going through all the variations he can think of, like magic band, magic hand, and more. He finally does get it, but it’s just after time has expired, meaning he doesn’t win the prize.
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Declaring Victory
This is one of the stranger Wheel of Fortune fails out there. In this case, the contestant literally guesses correctly, but isn’t given credit for it. The reason? He adds an extra word. Instead of saying the phrase “Declaring Victory” he says “I’m declaring victory.” It seems clear he’s attempting to be a little cheeky with his answer. But he’s too clever for his own good. After his answer is rejected, another contestant says the correct phrase, this time without the work “I’m” and gets the win. Pat Sajak has to regretfully tell the contestant that since he added in the word “I’m”, that’s why the producers decided not to grant him the win.
Corner Curio Cabinet
This is another case of a contest clearly knowing the answer, but failing to say it out loud correctly. While the board shows everything but the B in cabinet, this contestant feels confident enough to solve the puzzle. But as he says the phrase, instead of saying “Corner Curio Cabinet” he says something that sounds a lot more like Corno Kurro Cabinet. The audience’s gasps and sighs tell you everything you need to know. This is clearly not close enough for the show to award the contestant with the win.
The next contestant is easily able to solve, especially having heard the last word, cabinet, said correctly by the first contestant. Pat Sajak tries to comfort the bummed out contestant, and even promises they’ll take another look during the commercial break to make sure they weren’t being unfair. But as far as we know, this one ended up an unfortunate Wheel of Fortune fail!
A Group of …What?
Some Wheel of Fortune fails are sad, some are frustrated, and some are just hilarious. This one falls into the latter category. This contested takes a stab at a clue with several letters missing. And frankly, he almost nails it. He gets the first three words right: A Group Of. But that’s where things take a hilarious turn. Instead of guessing the correct answer, a group of well wishers, he guesses “a group of pill pushers.” This of course gets a big laugh from both Pat Sajak and the studio audience. It’s funny not only because that’s not exactly the type of family-oriented answer that Wheel of Fortune usually has, but also because of how opposite to the real answer it was. Pat is even moved to mockingly shout, “This is Wheel of Fortune, Joe!” Though, we suppose if they are pushing healthy supplements, maybe they are well wishers too.
The Painted Desert
This Wheel of Fortune fail is a group effort. One contest first guesses the letter P correctly, leaving only two letters in “Painted.” But she guesses wrong, assuming it was “The Pointed Desert” she gets another try and goes for “The Printed Desert” which is also incorrect. It then goes to the next contestant, who apparently had spaced out while the first contestant was guessing. Because instead of trying something new, he goes right back to her first guess, “The Pointed Desert.” Pat says it’s wrong, and that he has more time to guess again. But the contestant gets confused, and asks to solve the puzzle.
Pat is confused but say he should absolutely solve it. So, the contestant tries again with “The Pointed Desert,” a phrase that we’ve now heard three times. And, as Pat points out, it’s still wrong, no matter how many times they say it. Finally the third contestant takes a turn, and nails the right answer.
Passing the Bacon
This is another lighthearted moment, especially for host Pat Sajak. After most of the letters are revealed for the clue, “Passing The Baton” a contestant guesses “Passing the Bacon.” That of course is an incorrect guess, and none of the other contestants get it right. But Pat starts chuckling, and points out that “Passing the Bacon” is a much more fun clue than “Passing the Baton.” He gets laughs from the audience and decides to double down, asking why they don’t make “bacon batons.” Indeed, Pat, indeed.
Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa
Sometimes peoples’ names are what takes down contestants, and this one is a great example. In this case, the clue was clearly, “Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa.” And we assume that most people are familiar with these two incredibly famous hosts and TV personalities. But apparently not these three contestants. All three take turns trying to say their names correctly, failing over and over. The first tries for “Regis PhilBURN” and is told he’s wrong. The second pronounces it “Kelly Reepa.” The third tries to solve it and says “Regis PhilMAN.” Then it’s back around to the first contestant again. He thinks he’s got it solved, but pronounced is Kelly “Ripe-ah.” Wrong again. Finally it swings back to the second contestant, who finally gets it right. Clearly these three are not daytime TV watchers!
So there you have it! The top 10 Wheel of Fortune fails! Now it’s time to hear from you. Which one of these was the craziest? Let us know in the comments section below. And before you go, be sure to give this video a like, and subscribe to Facts Verse if you haven’t already.
