Fans Slam ‘Wheel of Fortune’ After Contestant Fails To Solve ‘Impossible’ Puzzle

One Wheel of Fortune contestant had viewers rooting for her — only to see a massive prize slip away in the final moments.

Kylene Foster, a mother from Tiffin, Ohio, was the big winner on Wednesday night’s episode of the beloved game show, but a tricky Bonus Round cost her a chance at walking away with an additional $60,000. Still, her upbeat attitude won fans over.

Foster competed against Buffy Davis of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Jimmy Bryant from Petal, Mississippi. Davis got off to a quick start by correctly solving the first two toss-up puzzles, banking $2,000 early on. But Foster quickly gained ground after nailing the first full puzzle, “Exciting Innovations,” which gave her $3,450 and put her in the lead.

The Mystery Round brought plenty of drama. Bryant, who introduced himself as a recreational gold panner, nearly solved the puzzle but landed on Bankrupt. Davis followed with the same unfortunate fate. Foster took advantage and solved “Periodic & Ping-Pong Table,” boosting her total earnings to $6,150.

She then pulled ahead further during the Prize Puzzle round, correctly guessing “Some People Have All The Luck” — winning a trip to the Canadian Rockies and increasing her total haul to $18,950.

Bryant finally made it on the scoreboard with one of the Triple Toss-Ups, but Davis and Foster snagged the other two. Davis closed out the game on a high note by solving the final puzzle, but Foster’s lead remained out of reach.

Davis cashed out with $11,400, Bryant secured a $2,000 prize, and Foster advanced to the Bonus Round with a leading total of $20,950.

In the Bonus Round, Foster brought two special guests: her 17-year-old son Riley — who was celebrating his birthday — and her mother, Robin.

She chose the “What Are You Doing?” category and was given the usual letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. Her additional choices — C, H, B, and O — offered little help. The puzzle board revealed: “O N O_ _.”

Foster tried “Boxing Old” and “Boring Old,” but neither were correct. The answer? “Dozing Off.” The missed guess cost her $40,000.

Despite the tough break, Foster remained composed and gracious, shaking host Ryan Seacrest’s hand and thanking him before the episode wrapped. In a pre-show clip, she admitted to being starstruck upon meeting Seacrest, calling herself a longtime fan.

Reactions online were sympathetic. “Kylene had the RAW DEAL list,” one YouTube commenter wrote. Another chimed in: “That final puzzle was borderline impossible.”

Foster may not have scored the bonus money, but she certainly earned fans for her grace under pressure — and a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Rockies doesn’t hurt either.

Sources: TV Insider