It was a moment of pure agony on Wheel of Fortune Tuesday night when a contestant fumbled what should have been an easy win—leading to one of the most unforgettable blunders in recent game show history.
Nikol Gamble, a Houston escape room owner, faced off against two other contestants: Dustin Whittern, an experienced black diamond skier from Oklahoma City, and Rachael Traywick, a longtime Wheel fan from Kapaa, Hawaii.
Wheel of Fortune puzzle with one missing letter, Photo Credit: wheeloffortune/Instagram
Everything was going well for Gamble—until the Mystery Round. With the category set as “Song Lyrics,” contestants worked through a massive 12-word puzzle, gradually filling in nearly every blank.
By the time it was Gamble’s turn, the puzzle read:
S E E / T H E / L I N E / W H E R E / T H E / S _ Y / M E E T S / T H E / S E A / I T / C A L L S / M E.
All she had to do was pick the right letter.
Wheel of Fortune contestant Nikol Gamble answering the puzzle, Photo Credit: wheeloffortune/Instagram
But despite host Ryan Seacrest reminding her there were no vowels left, Gamble confidently guessed “O”—declaring, “See The Line Where The Soy Meets The Sea It Calls Me.”
The audience gasped. The incorrect buzzer sounded. And in that moment, she realized her mistake.
Traywick quickly jumped in and solved the puzzle correctly: “See The Line Where The Sky Meets The Sea It Calls Me”—a lyric from the hit Moana song, How Far I’ll Go.
Wheel of Fortune contestant Nikol Gamble answering the puzzle, Photo Credit: wheeloffortune/Instagram
Viewers at home couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed.
One Instagram user summed it up: “This is quite literally my worst nightmare 😱”
Another added: “Omgeeee!!!! Painful to watch!!!!! 🥴🤦🏻♀️”
Over on X (formerly Twitter), the reaction was just as brutal. One user wrote:
“May be the worst Wheel of Fortune arrangement of ALL time. My 3-year-old niece can’t even read, and even she knew the answer.”
Another joked: “I would immediately leave the stage. Thank you for the opportunity, but I don’t want any money anymore. I’ll go cry in bed.”
Others, however, appreciated Gamble’s ability to laugh at herself.
“Love it! I have a feeling she’s laughing at herself!” one fan wrote.
Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest making a face, Photo Credit: wheeloffortune/Instagram
Even Wheel of Fortune icon Vanna White chimed in, noting that this was the longest 12-word puzzle in the show’s history.
But the misstep proved costly. Gamble never bounced back and ended the episode with zero dollars—a crushing outcome for any contestant. Meanwhile, Whittern stole the spotlight, advancing to the Bonus Round and winning a staggering $68,880 in cash.
It was a night that will go down in Wheel of Fortune history—but for Gamble, it’s a moment she might rather forget.
Sources: TV Insider
