‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans React After Contestant Misses Puzzle Viewers Called “Unfair”
A dramatic final round on Wheel of Fortune has sparked a storm of outrage online after viewers watched a contestant come agonizingly close to a huge cash prize, only to be stopped by what many are calling one of the most unfair puzzles in recent memory.
Saturday night’s episode quickly turned into a viral talking point as contestant Richard reached the show’s high-stakes final, with £50,000 potentially on the line.
Throughout the episode, he had been the strongest performer, confidently navigating each round and earning his place in the last challenge.
But what followed left both the studio and viewers stunned.
Hosted by Graham Norton, the ITV game show presented Richard with three final categories: House and Garden, Fictional Character, and Food and Drink. He chose Food and Drink — a decision that would soon ignite intense backlash online.
As tradition dictates, the puzzle board revealed the standard letters R and N. Richard then selected his remaining letters: C, H, D, and the vowel I.
Then came the shock.
Not a single one of his chosen letters appeared on the board.
With only blank spaces staring back at him, Richard was given 10 seconds to solve the puzzle.
Thinking aloud under pressure, he tried to piece together a possible phrase, briefly suggesting it might be “brown something” — but time ran out.
The studio fell silent.
When the correct answer was revealed, even Graham Norton acknowledged how brutal the moment was, telling Richard there was no shame in missing a puzzle that offered virtually no clues.
Had he solved it, Richard would have taken home £20,000.
Instead, he left with £8,400 in winnings and £2,000 in supermarket vouchers — a respectable prize, but one many viewers felt fell far short of what he deserved.
Social media explodes
Within minutes, social platforms lit up with frustration and disbelief. Viewers flooded X (formerly Twitter) with reactions, calling the puzzle “unfair,” “unrealistic,” and “impossible under pressure.”
Many admitted they had never even heard of the answer, saying they wouldn’t have solved it even with more letters revealed.
Others accused the show of making final puzzles overly obscure, claiming the difficulty felt designed to prevent contestants from winning big prizes.
Words like “robbed,” “set up,” and “stacked against him” dominated the conversation.
The controversial answer?
“Prawn gyoza.”
A sharp contrast with another ITV game show moment
The backlash came as ITV audiences were already talking about a very different game-show outcome.
On The 1% Club, hosted by Lee Mack, a resurfaced episode showed contestant Tazmin winning a massive £96,000 jackpot after solving a logic puzzle in under ten seconds — highlighting just how different game-show endings can feel when challenges seem fair versus unforgiving.
A moment viewers won’t forget
For Wheel of Fortune fans, the message was clear: when a final puzzle feels stacked against a player, audiences don’t stay silent.
And judging by the reaction, “prawn gyoza” may go down as one of the most controversial final answers the show has ever revealed.
Not because a contestant failed —
but because so many viewers believe he never truly had a fair chance to win.
