Veteran Contestant Misses Simple $45K Puzzle
A Wheel of Fortune contestant is drawing stunned reactions after missing what many fans called one of the season’s easiest Bonus Round puzzles. The mistake cost him a massive $45,000 prize.
Josh Post, a retired Coast Guard veteran from Magnolia, Texas, competed on the Nov. 14 episode against two other veterans: Aaron Graham, a former Army servicemember from Los Angeles, and Arlene Kruser, a Marine veteran from Grove, Illinois.
Early Lead Changes Shape the Game
The episode opened with quick wins. Graham claimed the first Toss-Up with “Great Courage.” Moments later, Kruser took the second with “Guessing Someone’s Age,” then extended her lead by solving “Try Restarting Your Computer,” bringing her total to $9,750.
Post started to surge during the Crossword puzzle under “In My Desk.” He picked up the Wild Card and solved “Food, Mousetrap, Pens, Staples,” pushing his earnings to $6,400. His momentum continued with “Taking a Speed Boat Tour,” which added $3,200 and a luxury trip to Montenegro. That solve moved him into first place with $18,573.
Triple Toss-Up Sparks Energy
The Triple Toss-Up puzzles delivered more excitement. Graham scored twice in the humorous category “Absurd Bird,” earning $4,000, while Kruser grabbed the remaining $2,000. Host Ryan Seacrest laughed, saying, “That was a fun category… thank you for entertaining us.”
Graham later solved “You Had to Be There,” but it wasn’t enough to advance. He finished with $11,000. Kruser ended with $11,750. Post, still leading and armed with the Wild Card, moved to the Bonus Round with support from his sister Melissa and niece Alexis.
Show hostess Vanna White in a ‘Wheel of Fortune’ episode, Photo Credit: Wheel of Fortune/Youtube
The Bonus Round Slip That Shocked Viewers
Post chose the category People. After receiving the standard letters, he added C, D, M, A, and Y. The board revealed:
_ _ C E Y _ A N S
As the clock wound down, Post tried to puzzle it out. His final guess — “Juicy Fans” — left the audience stunned. Seacrest joked, “Some of the best fans are juicy,” before revealing the correct answer: “Hockey Fans.”
The missed solve cost Post $45,000.
Fans React With Disbelief
Viewers quickly expressed their frustration online.
“HOW DID YOU NOT GET THAT?” one YouTube commenter wrote.
Another added, “I solved it the moment those letters appeared.”
A third noted, “This guy must not follow sports. Those letter picks were perfect!”
One viewer summed it up: “I had it solved before the buzzer even came close.”
A Memorable Night Despite the Loss
Although Post missed the Bonus Round prize, he still walked away with more than $18,500 and a luxury vacation. However, the internet isn’t letting him forget just how close he came to a much bigger win.
