Wheel of Fortune has been a staple of American television for decades, providing endless entertainment for audiences with its unique blend of word puzzles, suspense, and excitement. While some contestants have walked away with life-changing prizes, others have left with their tails between their legs, courtesy of some truly cringe-worthy mistakes.
One such contestant, Matt, recently made what is arguably the worst guess in Wheel of Fortune history. Despite ultimately winning the game with a respectable $23,350, Matt’s blunder will forever be etched in the annals of the show’s most epic fails.
The category was “people,” and the puzzle consisted of three words. When it was Matt’s turn, he asked to check if the letter “N” was present in the phrase. To his delight, it was, and the puzzle looked like this: TH_ – N_ T – _ N _ R _ T _ _ N. With this newfound information, Matt took a deep breath and made his guess. What followed was a moment of pure bewilderment, as Matt confidently declared that the answer was “The Best Buttercut.”
Needless to say, the audience was stunned, and the show’s host was left speechless. The correct answer, of course, was “The Next Generation.” While Matt’s mistake was undoubtedly the most egregious, it’s not the only notable fail in Wheel of Fortune history.
In 2017, contestant Kevin made a similarly embarrassing mistake when he attempted to fill in the blank for a single letter in the name of the play “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Kevin’s guess? The letter “K,” which would have resulted in the nonsensical title “A Streetcar Naked Desire.”
Another notable fail occurred in 2009, when contestant Lolita McAuley buzzed in during a speed round and confidently declared that the answer to the puzzle “S_LF-PO_T_ _ _T” was “SELF-POTATO.” The correct answer, of course, was “SELF-POTRAIT.”
More recently, in 2014, contestant Julian made a series of mistakes that ultimately cost him a chance at winning $1 million. His errors included mispronouncing the name of the mythological hero Achilles, incorrectly filling in the blank in the phrase “WORLD’S FASTEST A,” and making a bizarre guess in the “things” category.
While Matt’s mistake may have been the most epic fail in recent memory, it’s clear that he’s not alone in his embarrassment. Do you think Matt’s mistake was the worst of all time? Share your thoughts in the comments!
