A recent episode of Wheel of Fortune surprised viewers when a contestant froze during the crucial Bonus Round — with a potential $1 million prize at stake.
The May 13 show had a special “Bragging Rights” theme, featuring three contestants who all worked together at the same pediatric medical office. Sam Oh from Cypress, Texas, competed against Peter Jung and Daniel Park, both from Houston. With close connections and workplace bragging rights on the line, the game quickly became both personal and entertaining.
Host Ryan Seacrest started the night with a joke after learning Jung had once been Park’s pediatrician. “Still waiting for him to grow,” Jung joked. Seacrest smiled and replied, “People say the same about me — better watch it!”
As a fun twist, the players agreed that the losers would wear “Wheel of Misfortune” T-shirts designed by Jung’s wife. Oh, confident from the beginning, insisted he wouldn’t be wearing one — and stood by his words.
Oh got off to a strong start, scoring $2,000 on the second toss-up puzzle and solving “Giving a Little Pep Talk” in the Jackpot Round, earning an additional $2,000 and a vacation to Costa Rica. He followed up with the correct answer to “Surround Sound System,” raising his total to $18,600.
Jung was close behind, capturing the $1 million wedge and solving “Macadamia Nut Cookies” in the prize puzzle round, winning a Maui vacation and earning $14,000. Park got a late start but solved the final puzzle, “This Girl Is On Fire,” finishing with $1,700.
By the end of the main game, Oh led with $28,050, while Jung had $16,450. This placed Oh in the Bonus Round spotlight — with the million-dollar envelope on the line.
Oh’s category was “Phrase.” With his teammates cheering and wearing their “loser” shirts, Oh faced the puzzle board, ready for a potentially life-changing moment.
However, the tension quickly turned to hesitation.
After revealing the standard letters “R, S, T, L, N, E,” Oh paused. When Seacrest asked him to select three consonants and one vowel, Oh said “C,” then froze. With time running out, Seacrest gently encouraged him: “Take a guess.” Oh then added “G, M, and O,” revealing the puzzle as “O_T O_ _ _ C.” He guessed “Out of,” but couldn’t complete the final phrase — “Out of Whack.”
