A “Wheel of Fortune” contestant came within outstanding distance of a major payday this week, only to walk away empty-handed after a Bonus Round puzzle left both the player and viewers scratching their heads.Tierra Woods of Rowlett, Texas, entered the May 25 episode with a reputation for being highly resourceful off the show as well as on it. According to her introduction, she enjoys building and crafting just about anything, from handmade furniture to jewelry and custom party décor.
Woods competed against BJ Herndon of McRae, Georgia, and Josh Montiel of Northfield, Illinois, in a tightly contested game that shifted momentum multiple times throughout the night.Herndon struck first in the toss-up round, while Woods quickly made her presence known by solving an early puzzle and building an initial lead. She correctly identified “That Makes My Blood Boil” for $5,200, then expanded her total by solving “Boardwalk and Park Place,” bringing her winnings to $8,500 at that stage of the game.
Montiel, who owns a long-running Italian restaurant established in the mid-1980s, began gaining traction in the middle rounds. After securing the Wild Card, he correctly solved “Poets and Writers” and earned a prize trip to Ireland, propelling him into the lead with $13,747.
As the game progressed into the high-value Triple Toss-Up segment, Woods managed to secure two of the three puzzles, while Montiel added to his advantage by capturing the third.Herndon also had a solid finish, solving the last standard puzzle, “Teddy Bears,” and ending the game with $5,000. Woods concluded her run with $12,500, while Montiel held onto the top spot with $15,747, securing a place in the Bonus Round.
For the final challenge, Montiel selected the category “Phrase” and was given the standard set of letters: R, S, T, L, N, and E. He then added M, D, B, O, and H, which revealed a partially completed board reading: “_ _ _ _ O E T _ _.”Despite having valuable letters on the board, Montiel was unable to generate a correct response before the timer ran out. Host Ryan Seacrest acknowledged the difficulty of the puzzle, noting how challenging it can be without more revealing consonants.
When the answer was revealed as “Wax Poetic,” many viewers were stunned. The Bonus Round envelope contained $45,000, meaning Montiel could have walked away with a total of $60,747 had he solved it correctly.
Reaction online was swift, with some fans questioning whether the phrase was too obscure for a televised game show. Others admitted they were unfamiliar with the expression altogether, calling it one of the tougher final puzzles in recent memory.A portion of the audience, however, said they were able to piece it together at the last moment once “poetic” became clear, though most agreed it required a very specific line of thinking under pressure.
The episode ultimately left viewers debating not just the contestant’s choices, but whether the final puzzle itself was fair game for a high-stakes Bonus Round.
