Kelly Amodio, a mother of three from Waxhaw, North Carolina, recently showcased her skills on “Wheel of Fortune” but missed out on winning a brand-new Mini Cooper during the Bonus Round. Viewers expressed that the puzzle left them confused, with Amodio only receiving one additional letter to help her solve it.
Amodio participated in an episode that aired on October 16, competing against David Spellings from Memphis, Tennessee, and Reese Beckett from Mansfield, Texas. Amodio reminisced about her past memories of watching “Wheel of Fortune” with a neighbor who enjoyed playing games and cooking spaghetti.
Spellings kicked off the game by solving the first toss-up, while Amodio quickly caught up by solving the second. During her turn, she encountered a setback when she landed on the “Bankrupt” wedge after initially scoring $10,000, losing the money she had accumulated. Spellings later answered “Binge-Watching Reality Shows” for $4,150, adding to his total. He also earned a Wild Card by solving “Unforgettable Theme Parks,” totaling $6,150, but Amodio regained the lead with the Prize Puzzle, “Wearing Shades & Catching Waves,” which won her a trip to St. Pete-Clearwater, boosting her total winnings to $23,230.
As the game progressed, Amodio successfully solved two out of the three triple toss-ups for $4,000. The players battled through the final puzzle, “What Time Is It?,” with Amodio eventually arriving at the answer, “Without a Second to Spare,” bringing her overall winnings to $33,830. Spellings walked away with $8,150, while Beckett didn’t score any funds but received $1,000 as a consolation from “Wheel of Fortune,” which noted her battle with cancer since 2016.
For the Bonus Round, Amodio picked the puzzle category “What Are You Doing?” and was accompanied by her husband, Troy, and their three daughters. After the show provided her with the letters “R, S, T, L, N, and E,” she chose “C, M, P, and A.” That left her with the incomplete phrase: “_ _ _ _N_ T_ T_E _ _ _ _CE.”
Ryan Seacrest humorously remarked on the lack of clues, prompting laughter from the audience. Despite guessing several phrases like “Walking to the Place,” Amodio ultimately could not solve it, and the correct answer was revealed to be “Biking to the Office.” This loss meant she was unable to take home the Mini Cooper.
Many fans took to social media to express their surprise, sharing that they found the puzzle particularly challenging and admitting they struggled with it as well. “Without guessing the right letters, this was a super tough puzzle,” one viewer commented.
“Wheel of Fortune” continues to entertain fans with its engaging puzzles and thrilling gameplays, airing weekdays with availability to stream the next day on Hulu and Peacock.