Current:Home > MarketsDid 'Wheel of Fortune' player get cheated out of $40,000? Contestant reveals what she said -DollarDynamic
Did 'Wheel of Fortune' player get cheated out of $40,000? Contestant reveals what she said
View
Date:2025-04-26 08:35:36
She'd like to solve the mystery.
Some "Wheel of Fortune" fans became convinced this week that a player was cheated out of $40,000 after being ruled incorrect despite giving the right answer during the bonus round. Now, the contestant herself has weighed in.
The category in the bonus round was "living thing," but contestant Megan Carvale didn't quite come up with the answer, "pink orchid," in time. Or did she?
In what quickly became the game show equivalent of "the dress" debate, some viewers argued that Carvale did say "pink orchid" as her first guess, yet she was not ruled correct. She proceeded to wrongly guess "pony orchid" just before time ran out. "You might have been overthinking thinking of a type of orchid," host Pat Sajak suggested. Had she given the right answer, Carvale would have won $40,000.
"I'm sorry, did she NOT say Pink Orchid the first time? Or am I tripping," one user on X, formerly Twitter, asked.
"There is no question, she absolutely said 'pink orchid,'" another fan wrote. "Please give this girl her winnings!"
Others argued that Carvale said "something orchid," not "pink orchid." So Carvale appeared Thursday on "Good Morning America" to put the debate to rest and reveal what she really said.
"You know, I wish I said pink, because I would have been $40,000 richer," she said. "But I said 'something.'"
This came as a surprise to "Good Morning America" hosts Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts, both of whom thought Carvale said pink after watching the clip.
Pat Sajakstunned by 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant's retirement poem: 'I'm leaving?'
The debate could have something to do with the volume at which fans watched the original segment. Prior to Carvale's explanation, when the clip was uploaded to YouTube, many commenters agreed she said "something."
"On low volume it sounds like pink orchid but on high volume it's definitely 'something orchid,'" one YouTube comment said, while others pointed out that Carvale likely would have objected in the moment had she given the right answer.
New 'Wheel of Fortune' hostRyan Seacrest worries about matching Pat Sajak's quickness
Carvale admitted on "GMA" she was "so bummed" to have not won the bonus round, and the viral debate over her answer forced her to relive the loss. But despite not taking home the $40,000 bonus prize, Carvale still won $14,007 and a trip to Aruba on the show, and she found another way to see the bright side of the situation.
"You know what, at least it's positive attention," she told "GMA." "It could have been people making fun of me that I didn't get it right."
veryGood! (2533)
Related
- Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
- Jonathan Majors breaks silence on Robert Downey Jr. replacing him as next 'Avengers' villain
- Kendall Jenner and Ex Devin Booker Spotted in Each Other’s Videos From 2024 Olympics Gymnastics Final
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Green Initiatives
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- Who will host 'Pop Culture Jeopardy!' spinoff? The answer is...
- 2024 Olympics: Rower Robbie Manson's OnlyFans Paycheck Is More Than Double His Sport Money
- Legislation will provide $100M in emergency aid to victims of wildfires and flooding in New Mexico
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Carrie Underwood set as Katy Perry's 'American Idol' judge for Season 23
Ranking
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Unregulated oilfield power lines are suspected of sparking Texas wildfires
- Mýa says being celibate for 7 years provided 'mental clarity'
- Simone Biles' 2024 Olympics Necklace Proves She's the GOAT After Gymnastics Gold Medal Win
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- Protecting against floods, or a government-mandated retreat from the shore? New Jersey rules debated
- 2 New York City police officers shot while responding to robbery, both expected to survive
- Carrie Underwood will return to ‘American Idol’ as its newest judge
Recommendation
Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
Britney Spears biopic will be made by Universal with Jon M. Chu as director
26 people taken to hospital after ammonia leak at commercial building in Northern Virginia
Horoscopes Today, August 1, 2024
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Horoscopes Today, August 1, 2024
Regan Smith races to silver behind teen star Summer McIntosh in 200 fly
USA Women's Basketball vs. Belgium live updates: TV, time and more from Olympics