‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Loses $45,000 After Stunningly Simple Miss

It was supposed to be a triumphant night for retired Coast Guard veteran Josh Post, but one unexpected slip turned his Bonus Round into one of the most talked-about moments of the season. Standing under the bright studio lights on the Nov. 14 episode of Wheel of Fortune, Post had already fought his way into the lead, outperforming fellow veterans Aaron Graham and Arlene Kruser with confidence and sharp gameplay.

Earlier in the night, Kruser surged ahead with quick solves like “Guessing Someone’s Age” and “Try Restarting Your Computer,” while Post gained ground during the Crossword round, picking up the Wild Card and solving “Food, Mousetrap, Pens, Staples.” A luxury trip to Montenegro pushed him into first place with more than $18,000, earning him a spot in the Bonus Round as his family cheered from the audience.

But the night took an unexpected turn when Post selected the category “People.” After choosing his letters, the final puzzle appeared as:

_ _ C E Y _ A N S

With only seconds on the clock, he took a breath and guessed: “Juicy Fans.” The audience froze. Host Ryan Seacrest tried to soften the moment with humor — “Some of the best fans are juicy” — before revealing the correct answer: Hockey Fans.

Just like that, $45,000 slipped away.

The internet lit up instantly. Viewers flooded comment sections with disbelief, insisting they solved it “the moment the letters appeared.” Others joked that Post must not be a sports fan at all.

Still, despite the viral miss, Post walked away with more than $18,500 and a dream vacation — a consolation prize the internet can’t take away, even if they never let him forget the puzzle he didn’t solve.