Current:Home > StocksDid 'Wheel of Fortune' player get cheated out of $40,000? Contestant reveals what she said -Nova Finance Academy
Did 'Wheel of Fortune' player get cheated out of $40,000? Contestant reveals what she said
View
Date:2025-04-16 12:08:08
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! (4)
Related
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- New Mexico deputy sheriff kidnapped and sexually assaulted woman, feds say
- Illinois’ Signature Climate Law Has Been Slow to Fulfill Promises for Clean Energy and Jobs
- Minneapolis plans to transfer city property to Native American tribe for treatment center
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- The Bling Ring’s Alleged Leader Rachel Lee Revisits Infamous Celebrity Crime Case in New Documentary
- Texas, Oklahoma were to pay a steep price for leaving Big 12 early. That's not how it turned out
- UAW's Fain announces expanded strike, targets 38 GM, Stellantis distribution plants
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- Former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano dies at 98
Ranking
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- New York to require flood disclosures in home sales as sea levels rise and storms worsen
- Ex-New Mexico sheriff’s deputy facing federal charges in sex assault of driver after crash
- Coerced, censored, shut down: How will Supreme Court manage social media's toxic sludge?
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- State Rep. Tedder wins Democratic nomination for open South Carolina Senate seat by 11 votes
- UNGA Briefing: Netanyahu, tuberculosis and what else is going on at the UN
- College football Week 4: Ranking the seven best matchups for ideal weekend watching
Recommendation
NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
Tennessee judges side with Nashville in fight over fairgrounds speedway
'Welcome to freedom': Beagles rescued from animal testing lab in US get new lease on life in Canada
AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean
Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
Ex-FBI agent pleads guilty to concealing $225K loan from former Albanian official
Biden campaign to air new ad in battleground states that argues GOP policies will hurt Latino voters
Guinea’s leader defends coups in Africa and rebuffs the West, saying things must change