‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Upset Over This ‘Tough’ Bonus Round Puzzle
“Wheel of Fortune” fans are no strangers to tricky puzzles, but a recent Bonus Round has left many viewers frustrated and calling it unfair. The episode, which aired earlier this week, featured a contestant who made it to the final round with high hopes of taking home a major prize. However, what followed left both the studio audience and fans at home stunned.
The Bonus Round category was “What Are You Doing?” — a notoriously vague category. After the usual letters (R, S, T, L, N, E) and the contestant’s additional choices were revealed, the board still appeared nearly blank. The final answer was “Taking A Quick Jog,” a phrase many fans felt was far too obscure and uncommon to be fair, especially under pressure.
On social media, viewers quickly expressed their outrage. “Who even says ‘taking a quick jog’? That’s not a common phrase!” one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Others said the puzzle seemed “set up to fail” and accused the show of stacking the odds against the contestant to avoid giving away the top prize, which in this case was a brand-new luxury car.
Even longtime fans of the show agreed that the puzzle felt unusually difficult. “I’ve been watching for decades,” one fan commented on Facebook, “and this one didn’t feel right. You could give someone ten minutes and they might not get it.”
The contestant, though clearly disappointed, took the loss gracefully. But the controversy reignited ongoing debates about whether “Wheel of Fortune” should tighten its puzzle difficulty standards or at least make the Bonus Round categories more transparent.
Pat Sajak, who is in his final season as host, did not comment on the controversy during the episode. Still, with his departure approaching, some fans wonder whether the show is tweaking its format behind the scenes — and if the Bonus Round is becoming intentionally tougher.
While “Wheel” has had many memorable moments over the years, this incident stands out for how sharply it divided its audience. Whether or not changes are made, one thing is clear: fans expect fairness, even in the toughest rounds.
