Fans are in stitches after woman's wildly incorrect, whimsical 'Wheel of Fortune' guess
The show took a turn for the bizarre.
Can you solve this "Wheel of Fortune" puzzle?
Is there any game show that allows contestants to royally embarrass themselves on national TV quite like “Wheel of Fortune”? There’s always someone going viral for taking a big swing and missing on a phrase that seemed pretty apparent to the casual viewer.
And when you take a big loss on a “Wheel of Fortune'' word puzzle, there are a lot of folks shaking their heads at home. More than 8 million people watch the game show every night.
The latest victim of the wheel is Gishma Tabari from Encino, California, whose fantasy-inspired whiff of a common phrase earned her a lot of groans and some support from those who thought her imagination was inspiring.
The 3-word puzzle read: “TH _ _ RITI _ S _ GR _ E,” and Tabari offered the answer, “The British Ogre.” The guess surprised host Pat Sajak, who responded, "Uh, no.” Tabari must have missed that there was a space between the R and the E in the puzzle, so ogre would have had to be spelled with 2 Rs.
She also probably wasn’t aware that England isn’t a place known for its ogres.
The correct answer was: “The Critics Agree.”
The British Ogre.
— Dr. Rick (@Rick_LifeCoach) December 13, 2023
Umm?#WheelOfFortune #TheBritishOgre pic.twitter.com/VnYcl0p7nE
The answer inspired a lot of activity on X, where people couldn’t believe someone could come up with such a fanciful answer to a puzzle with such a straightforward solution.
This woman just guessed this puzzle as The British Ogre 😂😂😂 dying laughing 🤣 so many British Ogres in show biz #WheelofFortune pic.twitter.com/2ooImWepDn
— CoL* (@littleruk) December 13, 2023
"Oi, you best be off my swamp, mate, before I get properly cheesed off!" -The British Ogre #wheeloffortune
— Emily (@iamem89) December 13, 2023
What? You’ve never heard of the British Ogre? #wheeloffortune
— Emily (@iamem89) December 13, 2023
The British Ogre?💀💀💀 #wheeloffortune
— cierra bell (@cierrabellz) December 13, 2023
First the British Ogre than a P?! This show never fails to LOL with contestants #wheeloffortune
— Jennifer (@capzie) December 13, 2023
This girl guessed “The British Ogre” on wheel of fortune and the second hand embarrassment was overwhelming. She wouldn’t even look at the camera for a sec🤣😭 I feel bad but man that shit was funny
— Thumser (@JeffreyThumser) December 13, 2023
Michael created a lovely Photoshop image of what could be the British Ogre.
#WheelofFortune https://t.co/uNaDdAttl2 pic.twitter.com/sXJgeOfQPL
— Michael Nge (@michaelnge283) December 13, 2023
Not everyone had a problem with the guess.
OK, the puzzle was clearly THE CRITICS AGREE but to be honest I prefer THE BRITISH OGRE because the puzzles could use some more wacky originality sometimes.#WheelOfFortune
— Pasha Paterson (@zer0bandwidth) December 13, 2023
The British Ogre sounds like a cool band name. #WheelofFortune
— ᴊᴇʀᴇᴍʏ ᴊᴀᴍᴍ (@NaskarrKid) December 13, 2023
The incorrect guess is an opportunity for the world to learn that ogres aren’t a significant part of English folklore. Sure, there are characters in English myths and legends that have ogre-like qualities, such as Grendel from "Beowulf," the monstrous creature that terrorizes the mead hall of King Hrothgar. There’s also the Boggart, a mischievous spirit much like a hobgoblin and trolls, which appear in some English tales although they originate in Scandinavia.
If you’re looking for ogres in Europe, France is the best place to go.
The word ogre is of French descent and comes from the name of the Etruscan god of the underworld, Orcus. Orcus is a large, ugly, bearded giant who enjoys consuming human flesh. Ogres are primarily known for eating children, which they believe will give them eternal life.
As for “Wheel of Fortune,” the show will undergo significant changes over the next few years. The show’s host, Pat Sajak, 76, has announced that he is stepping down from the show at the end of the 2024 season after hosting it for 41 years. In September 2024, radio host and “American Idol” emcee Ryan Seacrest will take over the hosting spot.
Seacrest says that changes to the show will be minimal once he takes over.
“With this game show, it’s such a success and has been for generations,” Seacrest said in a new interview with People. “You don’t mess with it, just don’t mess with it. Just get out of the way, say ‘good evening,’ and let’s play.”