A recent episode of Wheel of Fortune ended in frustration — not just for the contestant, but for fans watching at home. Contestant Kyle MacDonald, an associate dean from Brown University, lost out on a $50,000 grand prize in the Bonus Round, marking the eighth such loss in a row on the long-running game show.

The May 8 broadcast featured MacDonald playing against Kiran Makhani from Portland, Oregon, and Jeanette Cothron from Tuscola, Illinois. Throughout the show, MacDonald delivered a strong performance. He racked up a total of $27,950 in cash and prizes, including trips to both Costa Rica and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. But the final puzzle proved to be his undoing.

In the Bonus Round, MacDonald, who brought his husband Andrew as his guest, selected “Person” as the puzzle category. After being given the standard letters R, S, T, L, N, and E, he chose D, M, P, and O. The resulting puzzle: “_ _ _OMPL_S_ED _ _ _ _TOR.”

With just seconds to solve it, MacDonald guessed “Accomplished Author,” getting the first word correct but stumbling on the second. The correct answer? “Accomplished Aviator.” That missed word cost him a staggering $50,000.

Host Ryan Seacrest, in his debut season, broke the news on-air with a sympathetic tone. The miss started an outpouring of reactions online.

“Another Bonus Round loss? This is turning into a disaster,” one frustrated YouTube viewer commented. Another joined in, “This is painful to watch. How many more contestants have to lose $50,000 before someone breaks the streak?”

Despite the loss, MacDonald remained upbeat. After filming wrapped, he reflected on the experience via Instagram, calling it “the fastest 22 minutes of my life.” He added, “It was the experience of a lifetime, and I still can’t believe it actually happened.”

He also shared how Wheel of Fortune played a part in his childhood, recalling nights spent watching the show with his grandmother in Canada. “She would’ve been thrilled to see this,” he wrote, noting how the show helped him learn his ABCs and sparked a lifelong love of game shows.

The episode’s other contestants walked away with smaller prizes — Cothron finished with $5,550, and Makhani earned $2,000. But it was MacDonald’s near-win that stole the spotlight — and left fans once again questioning the difficulty of the Bonus Round.

As the Bonus Round drought continues, fans are wondering: is the wheel stacked a little too steep?

Sources: TV Insider