‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Slam ‘Unfair’ Bonus Round Puzzle After Contestant Misses $50,000

A controversial Bonus Round puzzle has sparked frustration among Wheel of Fortune viewers after contestant Abhi Bhatt missed out on a potential $50,000 prize. Despite winning the November 6 episode and building up $20,348 during the game, Bhatt couldn’t solve the final phrase in time. The answer left him short of a possible $70,348 payday — and many fans felt the puzzle was unfairly difficult.

Abhi Bhatt Builds a Strong Lead

Bhatt, a Los Angeles, California, resident and Golden State Warriors fan, competed against Maureen Staser, from Gig Harbor, Washington, and Andrew Dugger, from Prescott Valley, Arizona. Dugger, an Air Force veteran, managed to solve one Fortune Frenzy puzzle, while Bhatt successfully completed three.

The opening rounds brought a few twists. Bhatt made progress on the first puzzle but then landed on Bankrupt, giving Dugger an opportunity to take the lead. Dugger solved “The Train Has Left the Station” for $3,050 before completing the “Before & After” puzzle, “Felt-Top Pen Pal,” with just one letter remaining. That answer brought his total to $6,850.

Bhatt soon turned the game around by solving “Posing for a Family Photo.” The victory earned him a trip to Vietnam and increased his winnings to $16,348, putting him ahead of his competitors.

He continued his strong performance in the Triple Toss-Ups, solving two of the three puzzles, while Dugger claimed the remaining one.

Staser, a retired registered nurse, finally got on the scoreboard with $3,200 after correctly answering “Some Kind of Wonderful.”

By the end of the main game, Dugger had accumulated $8,850, while Bhatt secured the night’s victory with $20,348 and advanced to the Bonus Round.

One Difficult Phrase Stands Between Bhatt and $70,000

For his final challenge, Bhatt selected the category “What Are You Doing?” He received the standard letters R, S, T, L, N and E, then added C, D, H and A.

The puzzle appeared on the board as:

S _ _ _ _ N _ _ _ _ _ CAR

As the countdown began, Bhatt tried to piece together the phrase. His guesses included “Spinning Up A Car” and “Shining Up The Car,” but neither was correct.

Host Ryan Seacrest acknowledged how challenging the puzzle was, particularly because the first word offered no additional clues.

“I think this is a challenging one,” Seacrest said. “Especially with no clues in that first word.”

When the time ran out, the answer was revealed: “Souping Up My Car.”

The envelope contained $50,000. Had Bhatt solved the puzzle, his total winnings would have reached $70,348.

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Question the Bonus Puzzle

The reveal quickly became a talking point among viewers, many of whom took to Reddit to criticize the wording and difficulty of the final puzzle.

One fan described it as a “bad final puzzle,” adding that they had not even known the phrase was spelled that way.

Another viewer sympathized with Bhatt, writing that he had been unfairly treated by the final challenge and calling the puzzle impossible.

Others focused on how unusual the wording sounded. One fan joked about the answer by imagining a Cadillac-themed soup, while another admitted they had never heard the expression before and asked what it meant.

One Reddit user offered an explanation, noting that a “souped up” car generally refers to a vehicle modified to increase its power or performance. However, they argued that using the phrase as a present-tense verb in this particular puzzle sounded awkward and unfamiliar.

The debate left viewers divided over whether the answer was fair game or simply too obscure for a Bonus Round challenge.

What do you think? Would you have recognized the phrase “Souping Up My Car” before the clock ran out?

Wheel of Fortune airs weekdays. Check local listings for broadcast times, or stream episodes the following day on Hulu and Peacock.