Wheel of Fortune ended its 50th anniversary week on a disappointing note, as a contestant missed the game show’s $100,000 jackpot.
That player was Kiana Moreland, a graduate of the University of La Verne in Grand Terrance, Calif., who recently earned a doctorate in organizational leadership.
Earlier in the game which aired on Friday, January 10, Kiana won thousands of dollars – and an African safari in three countries – but her luck ran out during the bonus round.
The category was “What do you do?” » And after filling in the free letters — R, S, T, L, N, E — and Kiana’s selections — D, C, H and A — the puzzle board looked like this: HA _ _ N _ A _ E _ LA _ _HS.
Kiana got “have” and “laugh” but couldn’t understand the third word by the time the bell rang. It turned out the answer was “HAVE A FEW LAUGHS.”
Showing good sportsmanship, Kiana had a few laughs – and a few grimaces – while hosting Ryan Seacrest revealed that its price would have been $100,000. Still, Kiana went home with a $19,290 package and a new one, Wheel of Fortune-branded addition to its shot glass collection.
On YouTube, viewers sympathized with Kiana.
“It was a heartbreaking loss,” one commenter said.
“Very unfortunate timing,” wrote another. “This was solvable for me. Sad. I wanted her to win this award.
One commenter said it was a “tough loss” but an “easy (solution) to a $100,000 headache.”
Someone else highlighted the string of losses during the 50th anniversary week, writing: “4 out of 5 bonus rounds lost; This is no way to celebrate 50 years of American football!
According to Wheel of Fortune recap Andy Nguyen, Kiana’s misfortune marked the first $100,000 loss of 2025 and the sixth of the game show’s 42nd season.
Next week, however, is Holland America Cruise Week, so perhaps another player will be heading to victory…
Wheel of FortuneWeekday evenings, check local listings
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