‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Disappointed by Contestant’s $40K Win
February 1, 2025
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A $40,000 prize on Wheel of Fortune is nothing to sneeze at, but for many fans, it’s becoming a bit of a letdown.
In the Friday, January 31 episode, Cindy Valenzuela from Merced, California, took home a Bonus Round prize on the game show of $40,000 after solving the puzzle “HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW.” Cindy guessed the correct answer almost immediately, but when host Ryan Seacrest unveiled the prize, fans expressed their dissatisfaction online.
“How many $40,000 envelopes are there in the bonus round, i see another $40,000 win again,” one person said in the comments of the YouTube video Wheel shared later that same day.
Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest attend the WOF S42 – Pier Wheel Launch at Santa Monica Pier on August 30, 2024 in Santa Monica, California. Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest attend the WOF S42 – Pier Wheel Launch at Santa Monica Pier on August 30, 2024 in Santa Monica, California. Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for CBS Media Ventures / Sony Pictures Television
“When I saw Ryan was hiding the prize from the envelope, I thought he is gonna surprise her and the audience with $100,000!,” another shared.
Others voiced similar frustrations, pointing out that $40,000 had become all too familiar in the Bonus Round. In fact, it’s a prize that has shown up 61 times this season, according to game show recapper Andy Nguyen.
“We got 105th shows with Still No million dollars, $70,0000 & $75,000 winners on wheel of fortune season 42nd…,” a third fan chimed in, while a fourth joked, “Plot Twist: All of the Bonus Round wheel is 90+% $40,000 or 10% a car.”
This comes after fans voiced concerns over the quality of recent puzzles on . Following the Friday, January 24 episode, many took to social media to critique a “Weather Forecast” puzzle that read: “C L O U D _ / W I T H / A / C H A N C E / O _ / S N O W _ L O W S.” The answer, “Cloudy With A Chance Of Snowplows,” left viewers questioning the puzzle’s absurdity. One Reddit user posted, “Are they running out of ideas???”
Cindy didn’t make out too bad, however, as her total haul came to $60,400.
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