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Wheel of Fortune’s Rare Bankrupt Streak Shocks Contestants

Wheel of Fortune recently witnessed an extraordinary event as all three participants landed on “Bankrupt” consecutively during a taping. This rare occurrence prompted host Ryan Seacrest to inquire if the contestants were experiencing technical difficulties with the wheel.

The episode aired on April 9 and featured Andrew Goodman from Larchmont, New York; Sierra Beck from Nashville; and Jennell Ferguson from Baltimore, Maryland. Goodman, a rabbi engaged in higher education, initially found success, solving the first toss-up and the opening puzzle with relative ease.

The game took an unfortunate turn during the Mystery Round. Beck, a biochemistry student who is in dental school, failed to secure the Mystery wedge which could have offered a $10,000 prize. Even inadvertently landing on “Bankrupt” was not a concern at that point.

All three contestants experienced a spell of misfortune when the Prize Puzzle began. Beck made several guesses but ultimately hit a “Bankrupt.” Goodman followed suit with his own Bankrupt as he attempted to solve the puzzle.

“It’s consistency, but we don’t want that kind,” Seacrest quipped, highlighting the unusual luck of the players.

Ferguson, claiming the title of karaoke queen, did not even have an opportunity to guess a letter, finding herself on the wrong side of the wheel from the outset. “Ok. Everyone’s done it once,” Seacrest humorously noted. Unfortunately for the contestants, Beck landed on “Bankrupt” again during her next turn.

“Do you guys have personal issues with the wheel?” Seacrest asked in disbelief. “What is happening tonight?”

The tide eventually turned for Goodman when he landed on the wedge featuring two “Bankrupts” and a “One Million Dollar” slot. Fortune smiled upon him as he correctly guessed “G” and secured the wedge. On his subsequent turn, Goodman deftly avoided another “Bankrupt” by hitting $600 instead, then solved the puzzle “Eating barbeque and Tex-Mex,” which earned him a trip to Texas.

One user on X remarked, “The three contestants spun bankrupt in a row! The Wheel of Fortune was not very fortunate.”

Beck managed to solve two of the three Triple Toss-Ups, while Goodman solved one. Despite her efforts, Beck’s total earnings of $8,400 left her short of a place in the Bonus Round. Ferguson ended the episode with no winnings, but the show gifted her $1,000 as a consolation prize. Goodman emerged as the leading contestant of the night, taking home $17,850 and entering the Bonus Round with the Million Dollar wedge, selecting “Event” as his category.

With the standard letters “R, S, T, L, N, and E” provided, Goodman chose “C, M, D, and O” to fill in his puzzle. The remaining letters revealed the configuration “_ _N_ _OL_D_ _.”

As the timer wound down, Goodman exclaimed, “It can’t be ‘pony.’” Unfortunately, he was unable to guess any words before time expired. The correct answer was “Bank Holiday,” resulting in a missed opportunity for an extra $40,000. Goodman was one slot away from the million-dollar card, but winning it was ultimately beyond his reach.

However, Goodman will have another opportunity to compete, as the top three winners of the week will return on Friday for iHeartRadio week, competing alongside multi-platinum artists Jason Derulo, Andy Grammer, and JoJo for a chance to win even more prizes.

Could you solve the puzzle? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Wheel of Fortune, Weeknights, Check local listings