One Wrong Letter, One Lost Car: The Mistake That Silenced the Whole Audience

Sun kept repeating the incorrect phrase but couldn’t identify the error in time.

“Wheel of Fortune” contestants are known for winning after a close finish, but sometimes players can lose out because of a tiny error. One such contestant missed out on driving home a brand-new car after getting just one letter wrong in the Bonus Round puzzle. James Sun played the initial rounds beautifully and smoothly advanced to the final round. He kept the momentum going by getting a bunch of clues on the board, but he tragically lost when he repeatedly kept guessing “Worth the hope” instead of the correct answer, “Worth the hype!” The loss left both fans and the host, Ryan Seacrest, visibly shocked.

Screenshot showing the moment of loss (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Sun told Seacrest that he’s been taking flying lessons with his nine-year-old daughter, which left the host surprised, and he joked that he couldn’t believe that a child her age was allowed to fly a plane but not drive a car. Sun went up against Brandy Smith from Dallas, Texas, and Meredith Kinkle from Cary, North Carolina.

Sun played the game with ease, taking the lead after the first couple of puzzles. In the Express Round, he cracked the prize puzzle and won additional cash along with an exotic trip to Coconut Bay in St. Lucia worth $11,204, as per Andy Nguyen’s blog. By the end, he emerged as the big winner of the day with $21,104 in cash and the trip, advancing to the Bonus Round.
Screenshot showing Sun at the wheel alongside Ryan Seacrest (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

After selecting the “Phrase” category, Sun joined Seacrest at the wheel. Before giving it a spin, he introduced his wife Bandi, daughter Anina, and brother Andrew, who were all on stage to cheer him on. “Oh, that’s the pilot? I would definitely fly with her,” the host said, referring to Anina.

 
Screenshot showing the contestant’s family (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

Once Seacrest picked out the Golden Envelope for the player, Sun was faced with a three-word puzzle. With the show’s standard R, S, T, L, N, and E revealed, he went on to pick P, H, D, and A as his additional letters to help fill up the board. With everything filled in, the final puzzle read: “_ _ R T H   T H E   H _ P E.” It looked like he was set for a big win as he had to guess only the three missing letters.

However, when the host kicked off the ten-second timer, it looked like the scientist did not have the correct answer locked in. With the clock running out, he tried to solve the puzzle, repeatedly guessing phrases like “Worth The Hope.” Unfortunately, the judges ruled the answer incorrect, and Seacrest built up the suspense before revealing the right answer. “Are you ready for it? Worth The Hype. You were so close, right out of the gate!” he explained. Adding to the heartbreak, he revealed that Sun had just missed out on taking home a brand-new Ford Escape.

While the player handled the loss well with a big smile, viewers couldn’t believe their eyes. “I literally slapped the table multiple times when he didn’t get it,” wrote one fan, @justinm.1, in the comments of the show’s YouTube clip. Although Seacrest couldn’t help Sun, he previously helped out a panel of players win big by sharing valuable advice throughout the rounds.