Wheel of Fortune’ Player Turns Heads After Failing To Solve Easy Puzzle

Wheel of Fortune” is skidding dangerously close to an unwanted milestone—and Thursday night’s episode didn’t help stop the slide.

Viewers tuned in on May 22 hoping contestant Aleeza Santillan might finally break the game show’s Bonus Round curse, but instead, fans were left watching yet another stumble—marking the 19th consecutive Bonus Round loss.

 

Aleeza Santillan, a first-grade teacher from Downey, California, went head-to-head with Julia Laube, a school psychologist from Madison, Wisconsin, and Todd Rose, a harmonica enthusiast from Edmond, Oklahoma. The game kicked off with promise, as Santillan snagged the $1,000 Toss-Up to take an early lead.

Despite a couple of bumps in the road, she rebounded in the Express Round, correctly solving a puzzle that netted her $13,420 and a trip to Cape Cod. Though Laube and Rose gave chase, it wasn’t enough to overcome her growing total.

With $15,420 in cash in her pocket, Santillan moved on to the Bonus Round—a moment loaded with pressure. The show hasn’t had a winner in the final round for nearly 20 episodes, and fans were eager to see the streak come to an end.

 

She selected the category “Place” and chose the letters D, M, C, and O to accompany the standard R, S, T, L, N, and E. The puzzle appeared as:

N E _ _ _ _ O R _ O O D / _ _ _ R M _ C _

Time started ticking. Santillan quickly locked in “Neighborhood,” but stumbled on the second word. She guessed “brunch” and “church” as the clock ran out. The correct answer? “Neighborhood Pharmacy.”

Host Ryan Seacrest revealed that had she solved the puzzle, she would’ve walked away with an extra $40,000—bumping her total over $54,000. Instead, she joined a growing list of contestants stumped by the final round.

 

The frustration wasn’t just felt on stage. Fans immediately lit up social media with disbelief, many questioning how the puzzle went unsolved.

“She had it right there! Come on!” one viewer posted.

Another added, “That was an easy one. First one in a long time that seemed doable.”

Many are beginning to wonder if the Bonus Round puzzles are getting harder by design, even floating theories that the show might be quietly tightening its prize budget.

 

“19 misses? It’s starting to feel arranged,” one Reddit user wrote.

With the losing streak now one episode away from tying the all-time record set in Season 36, all eyes are on the next contestant to see if they can finally turn the tide.

Do you think the puzzles are too tough—or just bad luck? Sound off in the comments.v