Wheel of Fortune Viewers Slam Halloween Episode After Contestants Make Repeated Mistakes and Winner Loses $45,000 Bonus Prize
A Halloween-themed episode of Wheel of Fortune left viewers frustrated after a series of incorrect guesses, missed opportunities and an expensive Bonus Round mistake.
During the October 27 broadcast, Ted Quann of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, emerged victorious with $23,175 in cash and prizes.
However, his celebration was bittersweet after he failed to solve a seemingly straightforward final puzzle, costing himself an additional $45,000.
The episode quickly sparked criticism online, with several viewers describing the contestants’ performances as among the weakest they had seen.
Wheel of Fortune Contestants Struggle Through Halloween Puzzles
Quann competed against Nicole Pirino, a psychic medium from Lyndhurst, New Jersey, and Diana Hunt of Austin, Texas.
The evening began with Halloween-inspired puzzles, but the contestants repeatedly struggled to complete them.
During an early round, Quann incorrectly guessed “Check into the Bates Hotel,” allowing Pirino to solve the correct phrase, “Check into the Bates Motel,” and collect $7,050.
Quann recovered during a crossword puzzle featuring Halloween expressions, correctly solving “Jeepers!, Eek!, Yikes!, Run!” to earn $5,150.
However, the mistakes continued.
Contestants guessed letters that had already been called, lost turns and struggled with puzzles despite having numerous letters revealed.
During another round, Hunt incorrectly attempted “Splurging on Muscles.”
Quann eventually solved “Splurging on Myself,” winning a trip to Costa Rica and increasing his total to $19,175.
After additional Toss-Up puzzles and the final round, Quann finished first with $23,175.
Pirino ended with $10,450, while Hunt took home $2,000.
Ted Quann Misses Out on $45,000 in the Bonus Round
With the victory secured, Quann advanced to the Bonus Round and selected the category “Phrase.”
After receiving the standard letters R, S, T, L, N and E, he chose P, D, H and I.
The puzzle appeared as:
I _ _ ILED THE E _ _ _
As the countdown began, Quann struggled to identify the missing words.
He tried guesses including “I Failed the Edge” and “I Filed the…” but could not complete the phrase before time expired.
The correct answer was “I Failed the Exam.”
When the envelope was opened, it revealed a $45,000 prize.
Had Quann solved the puzzle, his total winnings would have reached $68,175.
Instead, he left with the $23,175 he had already earned.
Viewers Criticize the Episode’s Numerous Mistakes
The unusual number of errors throughout the episode prompted strong reactions on Reddit.
“This was one of the worst episodes I’ve ever seen,” one viewer wrote.
Another commented, “This group of contestants is…wow.”
Others pointed to the repeated incorrect guesses and missed opportunities as reasons the episode had been particularly frustrating to watch.
“These contestants were a bit rough, lots of mistakes and missed opportunities. Ah well, it happens,” another viewer observed.
Despite the criticism, Quann still managed to secure a substantial prize package and win the game.
However, the missed $45,000 Bonus Round prize became the defining moment of an episode filled with unexpected mistakes.
Wheel of Fortune airs weekdays in syndication, with episodes available to stream the following day on Hulu and Peacock.