Wheel of Fortune viewers complained that the answer to a riddle didn’t appear frequently enough on Thursday’s episode — and cost one contestant a pretty penny.
The category was “Phrase” and Cesar Redaja only had 10 seconds to answer these blanks:
Redaja didn’t even venture a full guess when the buzzer sounded.
The answer? “That was a crucial factor.”
“It was a difficult task,” admitted moderator Pat Sajak. Redaja’s mouth dropped open as he caught a glimpse of the bonus prize he would have won: $100,000.
“Yes, I know,” said Sajak.
The contestant still walked away with $26,398.
Outraged viewers online said the ambiguity of the sentence was a key factor in Redaja not winning the extra money.