Wheel of Fortune viewers witnessed a jaw-dropping moment of controversy when a contestant's response - which many believed to be correct - was not deemed so by the show's judges.
The contestant at the center of this heated debate was Megan, a married high school choir director from California, who found herself in a tense bonus puzzle round. Her challenge was to solve a two-word puzzle under the category of "Living Thing".
As the wheel spun and Megan anxiously awaited her turn, host Pat Sajak picked up the prize estimate card and guided her to the puzzle board, revealing the enigmatic phrase, "_ _N_ _R_ _ _ _."
After guessing a few of the letters correctly, Megan was left with a board that read: "P_N_ _RC_ _ D"
With just 10 seconds on the timer, Megan uttered her final guess, which many viewers believe sounded like "Pink Orchid".
Of course, you can imagine their surprise when the correct letters appeared on the board, unveiling "Pink Orchid" as the answer... only for host Pat Sajak to reveal that she hadn't won the $40,000.
In an exasperated tone, Megan repeated the correct answer out loud, clearly frustrated by the timing.
Sajak, displaying a hint of realization, responded, "You might have been overthinking a type of orchid. I’m sorry that didn’t work out for you."
It was then revealed that Megan's answer had been marked incorrect, resulting in her winning a considerably lower amount, $14,007, instead of the initially estimated $40,000.
Outraged fans took to social media to voice their discontent, with one viewer stating: "The woman got screwed on #WheelOfFortune bonus puzzle tonight, she totally said 'Pink Orchid' right at the start."
Another supporter of Megan chimed in, saying: "I questioned the judges from the first thing she said!! I’m deaf in one ear, and half remaining on right, so I use captions and lip-read. She said 'Pink Orchid'!! No question!!"
"I am FUMING!! She got it she said pink orchid! Wtf?!" expressed a third viewer.
Some viewers directly addressed the show, with one stating: "Hey @WheelofFortune I heard the contestant say 'pink orchid' at the beginning of that final puzzle & rewound it to make sure. You owe her some $$$."
Another outraged fan demanded action, saying: "Okay @WheelofFortune if you play tonight’s episode again for the final puzzle, the one that just aired, you will hear clearly that she said 'pink orchid.' You did not properly credit the winner. Go and play it back. Seriously she said exactly that! Pink Orchid!"
However, after rewatching the clip, it looks like Megan faintly says something along the lines of "Something Orchid" - which would explain why she doesn't look too surprised to be missing out on the top prize.
Of course, this isn't the first time the show has been met with controversy.
Last year, a vacation to Croatia and a staggering $1 million dollars were on the line, and all that stood between contestant Micki and the prize was three letters.
The woman from Lousiana had the live studio audience at the edge of their seats as she was instructed by longtime host Pat Sajak to pick another letter.
Under the category "Thing," a clue on the board read: "A ROARING FIRE IN THE FIRE _ _ A _ E," and the unsolved word was clearly "FIREPLACE".
Watch the moment below:However, Micki left fans astounded when she asked the 76-year-old host to put an "S" on the board, which set off the incorrect-answer buzzer. "You got the reaction. No 'S,' I’m sorry," Sajak said of the crowd's disappointment.
Maybe this game is just much harder under the studio lights?
