HEARTBREAK ON THE WHEEL AND FANS CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT THEY SAW. It was supposed to be the perfect night for one of Wheel of Fortune’s biggest Friends superfans, but what unfolded left the entire studio in stunned silence. After cruising through every round, one final puzzle stood between the contestant and a jaw-dropping $105,000 prize — but in a shocking twist, the answer turned out to be almost impossible to guess. The timer buzzed, the lights dimmed, and the crowd gasped as the realization sank in: he’d lost it all by a single word. Within minutes, the clip went viral, sparking outrage online as viewers called it “the cruelest puzzle in show history.” What started as a moment of triumph ended in disbelief — and no one can stop talking about it

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What To Know

Contestant Courtney Smith, a kindergarten teacher and Friends superfan, won $30,670 and a trip to Curaçao on Wheel of Fortune after a close game.
In the Bonus Round, Smith faced a difficult “Phrase” puzzle, only revealing one letter and failing to solve.
Both host Ryan Seacrest and fans agreed the puzzle was exceptionally challenging, with Smith becoming the third contestant this season to lose the $75,000 bonus this season.

It was the one with the near-impossible puzzle on Thursday’s (November 6) Wheel of Fortune, as one unlucky contestant missed out on walking away with over $100,000.

The contestant in question was Courtney Smith, a kindergarten teacher and Friends superfan, who told host Ryan Seacrest that she decorates her classroom like the iconic sitcom and that she made her younger brother learn the Ross and Monica routine from the New Year’s episode.

Smith was up against Desmond Slowe, a karaoke enthusiast from Boise, Idaho, who said he sounds like Cher when he sings, and Tasha Gray, a basketball wife and mom from Birmingham, Alabama.

It was Slowe who started the episode hot, nailing the first two puzzles and yelling “Big Money!” every time he got a correct answer. However, Smith and Gray fired back in the following two rounds, both solving a puzzle each and keeping the game close.

Things picked up in the Express Round after Gray missed out by giving the wrong preposition (saying “In” instead of “On”). This allowed Smith to capitalize, solving the puzzle for $11,150 and a trip to the Curaçao resort and spa worth $9,470.

After nailing two more puzzles in the Triple Toss-Up and the final Speed-Up puzzle, Smith won the episode with $30,670 cash.

Heading into the Bonus Round, Smith selected the “Phrase” category and the additional letters “H, C, D, and I.” Unfortunately, these turned out to be bad picks, as only the H appeared in the puzzle. This left her with a three-word puzzle that read: “_ _ / T H E / _ _ _ _.”

As the ten-second timer began, Smith struggled to figure out the tricky puzzle, incorrectly guessing “Up the Wind” and “Up the Creek.” After the time ran out, Vanna White revealed the correct answer as “By The Book.”

Seacrest then opened the prize envelope to reveal that Smith lost out on an extra $75,000, making her the third contestant to lose the $75K this season.

“I don’t know how anyone would have gotten there without more help,” Seacrest said, offering some words of comfort for the Friends obsessive.

Fans agreed, with one YouTube commenter writing, “That was another tough puzzle. My mind went blank on that one.”

“Very tough puzzle, but good effort tonight Courtney,” said another.

“Too bad about the $75,000 loss. That puzzle was tough anyway,” another added.

Another quipped, “Considering Courtney is a kindergarten teacher, she should be schooled as to why Phrase is a horrible bonus round category.”

Did you figure out this Bonus Round puzzle? What did you think of Thursday’s episode? Let us know your thoughts below.