Current:Home > ScamsDid 'Wheel of Fortune' player get cheated out of $40,000? Contestant reveals what she said -Aspire Money Growth
Did 'Wheel of Fortune' player get cheated out of $40,000? Contestant reveals what she said
View
Date:2025-04-13 23:03:45
She'd like to solve the mystery.
Some "Wheel of Fortune" fans became convinced this week that a player was cheated out of $40,000 after being ruled incorrect despite giving the right answer during the bonus round. Now, the contestant herself has weighed in.
The category in the bonus round was "living thing," but contestant Megan Carvale didn't quite come up with the answer, "pink orchid," in time. Or did she?
In what quickly became the game show equivalent of "the dress" debate, some viewers argued that Carvale did say "pink orchid" as her first guess, yet she was not ruled correct. She proceeded to wrongly guess "pony orchid" just before time ran out. "You might have been overthinking thinking of a type of orchid," host Pat Sajak suggested. Had she given the right answer, Carvale would have won $40,000.
"I'm sorry, did she NOT say Pink Orchid the first time? Or am I tripping," one user on X, formerly Twitter, asked.
"There is no question, she absolutely said 'pink orchid,'" another fan wrote. "Please give this girl her winnings!"
Others argued that Carvale said "something orchid," not "pink orchid." So Carvale appeared Thursday on "Good Morning America" to put the debate to rest and reveal what she really said.
"You know, I wish I said pink, because I would have been $40,000 richer," she said. "But I said 'something.'"
This came as a surprise to "Good Morning America" hosts Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts, both of whom thought Carvale said pink after watching the clip.
Pat Sajakstunned by 'Wheel of Fortune' contestant's retirement poem: 'I'm leaving?'
The debate could have something to do with the volume at which fans watched the original segment. Prior to Carvale's explanation, when the clip was uploaded to YouTube, many commenters agreed she said "something."
"On low volume it sounds like pink orchid but on high volume it's definitely 'something orchid,'" one YouTube comment said, while others pointed out that Carvale likely would have objected in the moment had she given the right answer.
New 'Wheel of Fortune' hostRyan Seacrest worries about matching Pat Sajak's quickness
Carvale admitted on "GMA" she was "so bummed" to have not won the bonus round, and the viral debate over her answer forced her to relive the loss. But despite not taking home the $40,000 bonus prize, Carvale still won $14,007 and a trip to Aruba on the show, and she found another way to see the bright side of the situation.
"You know what, at least it's positive attention," she told "GMA." "It could have been people making fun of me that I didn't get it right."
veryGood! (85324)
Related
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- 7-year-old climbs out of car wreck to flag help after fatal crash in Washington
- A former Arkansas deputy is sentenced for a charge stemming from a violent arrest caught on video
- All of Broadway’s theater lights will dim for actor Gavin Creel after an outcry
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Mountain Dew VooDew 2024: What is the soft drink's Halloween mystery flavor?
- Photos show aftermath after Hurricane Milton tears path of damage through Florida
- House Democrats in close races try to show they hear voter concerns about immigration
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Get a $19 Prime Day Deal on a Skillet Shoppers Insist Rivals $250 Le Creuset Cookware
Ranking
- Average rate on 30
- 13-year-old walked away from his mom at Arizona car wash. A month later, he's still missing.
- Travis Barker Shares Sweet Shoutout to Son Landon Barker for 21st Birthday
- New Orleans Saints to start rookie QB Spencer Rattler in place of injured Derek Carr
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- More than 2 million without power as Hurricane Milton slams Florida, causes deaths and flooding
- Lionel Messi, Argentina national team leave Miami ahead of Hurricane Milton
- North Carolinians Eric Church, Luke Combs on hurricane relief concert: 'Going to be emotional'
Recommendation
Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
Is Travis Kelce Going to Star in a Rom-Com Next? He Says…
Opinion: College leaders have no idea how to handle transgender athlete issues
The Daily Money: Revisiting California's $20 minimum wage
Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
New Orleans Saints to start rookie QB Spencer Rattler in place of injured Derek Carr
Who went home on Episode 2 of 'The Summit' in chopped rope bridge elimination
Photos show aftermath after Hurricane Milton tears path of damage through Florida