Wheel of Fortune delivered a stunning run from Anastasia Armitage — but one Bonus Round puzzle left her walking away without an extra $45,000. The Chicago contestant had already won $38,324 in cash and prizes, secured two trips, and outpaced her rivals with a string of impressive solves. But in the final round, she recognized one word and struggled to identify the other before the clock ran out. When Ryan Seacrest revealed the answer, her shot at the extra cash was gone. After such a dominant performance, was this simply a brutally difficult puzzle — or the one that got away?

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‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Misses Out on $45,000 After Dominating the Game

An outstanding run on Wheel of Fortune brought Anastasia Armitage $38,324 in cash and prizes, two trips and a string of impressive puzzle solves. But just when the Chicago contestant appeared poised to finish the game on a high note, one difficult Bonus Round puzzle cost her the chance to win another $45,000.

The dramatic finish came during Monday’s “Happy Halloween” episode, which opened the show’s Halloween week with a mix of festive fun and last-minute heartbreak.

Anastasia Armitage Takes Control of the Game

Before the competition began, Armitage won over the audience with her upbeat personality. She shared her love of autumn activities, including visiting apple orchards, enjoying donuts and picking pumpkins. She also revealed an unusual detail about herself: although she loves the smell of coffee, she has never actually tasted it.

Armitage faced two competitors: Tony Ambrose, a teacher from New York, and Kym Adams, a former biker from Texas who now plays pool.

The Chicago native started slowly as her rivals solved the first two puzzles and took early leads. However, she soon found her rhythm and began building an impressive winning streak.

Her breakthrough came in the Same Letter round, where she secured a Halloween-themed getaway to Salem, Massachusetts, valued at more than $7,000. She followed that success by solving “Pet Peeve” in the Mystery Round, pushing her total winnings to nearly $15,000.

Two Trips and a Series of Impressive Solves

Armitage continued her momentum in the Express Round, solving “What The Fun!” to win another trip — this time to London. The prize offered her the chance to explore the city’s historic streets, associated with the notorious Jack the Ripper. By this stage, her winnings had climbed past $23,000, putting considerable distance between her and the other contestants.

She then delivered one of the episode’s most memorable performances in the Triple Toss-Up round. All three puzzles began with the word “Be,” and Armitage quickly identified “Be Prepared,” “Be Persistent” and the more challenging “Be Afraid Be Very Afraid.” Her rapid-fire answers drew an enthusiastic response from the audience.

She maintained her lead in the Speed-Up Round by solving “Chain Saws And Lawn Mowers.” When the main game ended, Armitage had accumulated an impressive $38,324 in cash and prizes.

A Tough Bonus Round Costs Her Another $45,000

With such a strong performance behind her, Armitage entered the Bonus Round with a chance to add even more to her winnings. She selected the category “People” and chose B, D, P and A as her additional letters.

The board appeared as:

“_ _ _ A L / _ P P _ N E N T S”

Armitage quickly recognized the second word as “Opponents,” but finding the first word proved much harder. She tried “Coral,” “Moral” and “Jural” as the clock ticked down, but none was correct.

The solution was “Rival Opponents.”

When host Ryan Seacrest opened the envelope to reveal the prize, the result was a disappointing end to an otherwise exceptional game. Armitage missed out on the additional $45,000 available in the Bonus Round.

Fans Praise Her Puzzle-Solving Skills

Despite the missed prize, Armitage remained upbeat about her experience. Speaking with Maggie Sajak after the show, she said she felt fortunate to have had her moment on the Wheel of Fortune stage and described playing alongside Ryan Seacrest, Vanna White and the other contestants as a joy.

Viewers also took to social media to celebrate her performance. One praised her as one of the best puzzle solvers they had seen, while another highlighted her remarkable answers and said she should be proud.

Although the Bonus Round ended without the extra cash, Armitage’s performance stood out for her quick thinking, impressive accuracy and ability to recover after a slow start. She left with $38,324 in winnings and prizes — and plenty of admiration from fans as Wheel of Fortune entered its Halloween-themed week.