From Mythological Heroes to Self-Potatoes
The mythological hero who?
Indiana University freshman Julian had a moment he’d rather forget on “Wheel of Fortune” in 2014. With the million-dollar wedge in hand and every letter of the puzzle filled out, all Julian had to do was read the answer aloud. However, he mispronounced the name of the mythological hero “Achilles” as “A-chillus,” costing him the chance to win the million but still winning the game.
It’s a self-potato
In 2009, contestant Lolita made a hilarious mistake during a toss-up round. The category was “thing,” and the board read “S _ L F – P O _ T _ _ _ T.” Lolita buzzed in and confidently answered “self-potato,” quickly realizing her error as she laughed it off. Contestant Michael swooped in with the correct answer, “self-portrait.”
What play?
In 2017, contestant Kevin’s lack of familiarity with Tennessee Williams’ play “A Streetcar Named Desire” caused a blunder. The whole puzzle was complete except for the letter “M” in “named.” Kevin ended up guessing a “K,” spelling out “A Streetcar Naked Desire” instead. The gasps from the audience were met with Lisa’s correct guess of an “M” to solve the puzzle.
The Johnny Cash mix-up
In 2013, Natasha stumbled on the title of Johnny Cash’s famous song “I Walk the Line.” With nearly $10,000 at stake, she guessed, “I Have the Wine by Johnny Cash.” At least she got the Johnny Cash part right!
“I’ll go with a … G”
A recent blunder occurred during a “Teen Week” edition of the show in 2023. Tenth-grader Khushi only needed an “S” to spell out “fresh tropical fruit.” However, she confidently said, “I’ll go with a … G,” leaving the audience member in shock. Julianna stepped in and correctly solved the puzzle while Khushi’s guess of “fregh tropical fruit” was proven wrong.
Not a fan of talk shows
During Armed Forces Week in 2010, contestants struggled with the pronunciation of talk show hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa’s names. Shane mispronounced Philbin as “Philburn,” and Lee guessed an incorrect letter. George then mistakenly pronounced Ripa’s name as “Reepa.” After multiple failed attempts, it was finally George who got the names right.
These blunders remind us that even on a popular game show like “Wheel of Fortune,” mistakes can happen to anyone. The contestants may have missed out on prizes, but they certainly provided moments of laughter for viewers.
