Heartbreak on Live TV: Texas Man’s Dream of Driving Home a Brand-New Car Shatters in Seconds After He Fumbles a Tricky ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Puzzle — Viewers Call It One of the Most Devastating Losses in Game Show History

Jimmy Alexander became the first player to lose a brand-new car on season 43 of the show.

Screenshot of Ryan Seacrest and contestant Jimmy Alexander on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

The September 10 ‘Wheel of Fortune’ episode was a treat for both viewers and the participants. Jimmy Alexander from Fredericksburg, Texas, went up against Rebecca Merkel of Hoover, Alabama, and Genvieve Martin from Coffeeville, Mississippi. Apart from two of the three contestants winning over $20,000, the show also introduced the “Year of Funds” that will see one lucky Wheel Watchers Club (WWC) member win big. As part of the side game, every time ‘fun’ is said on air,  $1,000 will be put into the prize pot; by the end of the episode, a lucky WWC member wins whatever is inside the pot.

The September 10 ‘WoF’ episode saw Alexander and Merkel solve the first two toss-ups respectively. After landing on the $2,500 wedge thrice, Alexander turned his Wild Card to guess the letter ‘C’ that helped him win $21,250. The puzzle—”Electronic Dance Music”—had three Cs, and Alexander solved it with ease. Later, the Texas resident solved the final puzzle—“Caribou Crossing”—to take the lead wth $28,650. Martin went home with $23,700, and Merkel was left with $3,000.

Joining Ryan Seacrest for the Bonus Round, Alexander was accompanied by his wife, Alicia, and his daughters, Lauren and Kristen. He chose ‘Around the House’ as his Bonus Round category. After a strong spin, Seacrest picked the Golden Envelope and provided Alexander with the standard letters, R, S, T, L, N, and E. For his own letters, he chose M, D, G, and O. However, only O was added to the puzzle, which now read: “__OR__ __EN__ __.”

“That‘s all we got,” Seacrest said as he hit the 10-second timer. Alexander had very little to work with, and it was no surprise that he struggled. In the end, all he could do was nod his head. “Yeah, tough to come up with this,” Seacrest agreed as he revealed the answer: “Workbench.” He then proceeded to open the Golden Envelope and showed Alexander that he had just missed out on a brand new Mazda. Seacret’s expression, too, hinted at disappointment.

“Great to have you,” Seacrest said as they shook hands and Alexander left. Several ‘Wheel of Fortune’ fans expressed disappointment at Alexander’s choice of words. “Surprisingly, I figure out the puzzle with Workbench. If Jimmy would’ve choose “B” & “H” then he probably would’ve got it,” a fan wrote. “That’s what I said, not enough letters to work with. Besides the “O”, “W”, “B”, and “H” would’ve helped him,” another commented. As for the “Year of Funds”, five “funs” were uttered during the episode, and a lucky WWC member won $9,000.