A Wheel of Fortune contestant pulled a clever stunt on America before his big win on Tuesday, November 12’s episode. While players usually crack their bonus puzzle when they get their additional letters, this savvy solver was seemingly aware of the answer from the get-go, using the extra leeway for a little hat trick.
Brandon Shields, a Marine Corps veteran from Wilmington, Delaware, who invited Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White to try the pulled pork recipe he mastered while in service (hopefully with a round of sausage), won the game. With $22,400 in cash and a trip to St. Maarten, he proceeded to the coveted bonus round selecting “What Are You Doing?” Joined by Seacrest, he was faced with a four-word puzzle that read as, “‘L _ _ _ _ N _’ ‘_ _R’ ‘_ _’ ‘_E_S’.
Keeping a straight face, he selected the unconventional letters of “YKFO.” White went over to the puzzle as Seacrest hinted, “I think you’re gonna see a few things here.” Shields burst into an excited smirk as the puzzle coincidentally nearly filled out to a hilarious extent. With his choices, it read, “LOOK_N_’ ‘FOR’ ‘_Y’ ‘KEYS.”
White broke character, audibly laughing with a knowing grin at the puzzle board, clapping even before the timer began, as the audience did as well. Shields instantly solved it as “Looking For My Keys.” The crowd went wild and Seacrest revealed he won an extra $50,000 for a nice lump sum of $72,400. His family swept in to celebrate as he shared, “I can pay for childcare, that’s awesome!”
Fans flooded the comments when the game show shared the big win on YouTube, with many believing he got lucky with unconventional letters. Others suggested a more likely scenario: he tricked viewers by selecting letters that revealed almost the entire puzzle, probably already knowing the answer, making for a very funny flourish.
“He picked letters you don’t see often in the bonus round, and they all worked out. Well done!” one YouTube commenter wrote, thinking he got lucky with his letter picks.
“Unusual letter picks that paid off…literally! Such a beautiful family! “Way to go, Brandon!” wrote another also sure his odd letters that worked out.
“He knew that from the beginning,” explained a third.
“You knew that Bonus Puzzle all along! How about that?” wrote a fourth.
“When Brandon picked Y, I just knew he was toying with us as Pat [Sajak] would say,” explained a fifth.
“He definitely knew it from the beginning,” agreed a sixth.
“Oh, he knew that puzzle from the RSTLNE. It’s not often you hear a contestant call for a Y or a K,” wrote one more.
What did you think of Brandon Shields’ big Wheel of Fortune win and his playful move? Let us know in the comments section below!
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