A contestant on Wheel Of Fortune missed out on winning a brand new car over what seemed like a small technicality.
Charlene Rubush had made it all the way to the Bonus Round of the popular game show with $16,500 this week.
And then, during Tuesday’s episode, Rubush appeared to have solved another puzzling phrase to win a brand-new Audi Q3, only to learn she paused too long between the four words of her correct answer.
Technicality: Wheel Of Fortune contestant Charlene Rubush missed out of winning a brand new Audi when she got an answer correct, but had a four to five second delay between the third and fourth word of the phrase
According to Yahoo Entertainment, Rubush went into the Bonus Round under the category clue ‘What Are You Doing?’
With five letters still unturned, she first guessed the four words as being, ‘Choosing the right card,’ which was incorrect.
With the time clock still ticking, Rubush then uttered the first three words correctly again, paused, and finally delivered the correct last word, which happened to be ‘word.’
To the many viewers at home, Rubush got the phrase, ‘Choosing the right word,’ correctly, but the judges ruled that she paused too long after the third word, and needed to say the entire phrase of four words continuously.
Big bucks $$$: Rubush made it all the way to the Bonus Round with $16,500
High pressure: With five letters left unturned, Rubush first answered, ‘Choosing the right card’, which was incorrect
Basically, Rubush got the answer right answer before the buzzer sounded, but she paused too long after the third word.
‘You know, this one’s tough, because you said all the right words, including the word “word”,’ host Pat Sajak explained to the disappointed contestant moments after the buzzer went off, adding, ‘But, as you know, it’s gotta be more or less continuous. We’ll allow for a little pause but not four or five seconds.
He continued: ‘I’m sorry. You did a good job in getting it, but we can’t give you the prize, and it was the Audi.’
Some of the show’s fans have since taken to social media to share their outrage over the four to five second pause that wound up costing her the big four-wheeled prize.
Correct words: Rubush would reiterate the first three correct words and then pause about four to five seconds before delivering the fourth word, which just happens to be ‘word’
The judges for the show ruled contestants have to say a phrase continuously in order to have their answer to be considered, and thus, Rubush missed out on winning an Audi Q3
“#WheelofFortune You know what?! I’m gonna take a long pause from wheel of fortune…’ one viewer wrote, which was a threat to boycott the game show.
Some of those outraged fans took their threat of a show boycott another step further and urged producers to give the Audi to Rubush.
“Give her the car @WheelofFortune!! This is ridiculous,’ a viewer tweeted, which followed a trend of similar sentiments, like, ‘Give her the car, @WheelofFortune.’
Another disappointed fan turned things around, by putting the responsibility on the carmaker by sharing, ‘AUDI? be the bigger person and give that lady her car. Thank you.’
Outrage: Fans have since taken to social media to share their outrage over the technicality
Backlash: Many fans are urging Wheel of Fortune to give Rubush the car
Following the lead of others who threatened to boycott the game show, which made its debut back in 1975, one person got more descriptive while making the case of uncovering so-called ‘hidden rules.’
‘@WheelofFortune well we had a good run. I won’t watch the show anymore,’ the man wrote of the Merv Griffin creation., explaining, ‘That lady won the AUDI, she answered the phrase within the timeframe allowed. You have hidden rules, fake show. Ill never watch again (unless she gets the AUDI ANNND the rule changes).’
While, Rubush is surely disappointed in missing out on the Audi, she leaves Wheel Of Fortune with her $16,500 in prize money and a vacation getaway.
Boycott: Some fans threatening to boycott the show if they don’t give the contestant the Audi
Outrage: One viewer thinks Audi should still give Rubush the car
Still a winner: Rubush leaves the show with $16,500 in prize money and a vacation getaway