In a recent episode of Wheel of Fortune, contestant Ryan Halsey experienced the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with game show competition. On the episode aired on March 17, 2025, Halsey, a resident of Santa Barbara, California, started off strong but ultimately found himself devastated after failing to correctly identify a puzzle in the Bonus Round. Despite demonstrating impressive skills throughout the game, many viewers believed the final puzzle was relatively simple.
During the game, Halsey kicked things off by ringing in on the opening tossup, correctly answering, “Hula Dance Instructor” and winning $1,000. He played against Hawanya Jackson-Elliott, a social worker from Detroit, Michigan, and Jo Ann Bomkamp, a retired teacher from Woodstock, Illinois. In another toss-up, Jackson-Elliott answered correctly for “Green Sea Turtles” and collected an extra $2,000. Halsey continued to shine, solving the first full puzzle of the night — “Margarita, Mojito, Mimosa, Mudslide” — adding a whopping $8,900 to his total.
The excitement ramped up as the game moved forward, though there were some hiccups. Bomkamp hit a “Bankrupt” on her turn but wasn’t penalized since she had no money to lose. Halsey picked up a Wild Card during his turns but suffered a setback when he too landed on a “Bankrupt,” halting his momentum temporarily. “Taking a break from social media” became another correct answer for Halsey, increasing his total to $12,400.
In the Express Round, where every letter guessed earned Halsey $1,000, he racked up an additional $13,050 for solving the puzzle “Another perfect day.” Halsey even secured a trip to Costa Rica for that win.
The Triple Tossup round saw both Halsey and Jackson-Elliott answer correctly, winning an extra $2,000 each. Bomkamp later guessed correctly on the final puzzle, “Dreams Really Do Come True,” which netted her $3,700, while Jackson-Elliott concluded the night with $4,000 in winnings. In total, Halsey’s efforts landed him a remarkable $39,450 along with that coveted trip to Costa Rica.
When it came time for the Bonus Round, Halsey was given the category “Phrase”. With letters “R, S, T, L, N, and E” already revealed, the puzzle appeared as “_ _O_L_ _E _EL_GHTE_.” Halsey chose the letters “G, F, H, and O” in hopes of completing the answer. He confidently guessed, “I am delighted,” but fell short as the correct answer was “I would be delighted.”
Host Ryan Seacrest expressed sympathy as he revealed the result, stating that Halsey had missed out on winning a brand new Ford Bronco. Viewers watching the episode, many of whom had confidently guessed the correct phrase at home, voiced their sympathy for Ryan on social media. One viewer commented on YouTube, “Ouch that hurt,” while another added, “Tough solve.” A third posted, “How did he not get that bonus round? He was brilliant all night and then bam!” Halsey’s misstep in the Bonus Round caught the attention of fans who felt that despite his excellent performance, luck wasn’t on his side at the crucial moment.
Despite losing out on the car, fans and commentators agreed that Halsey played an impressive game throughout the episode, ultimately walking away with a substantial cash prize and a vacation. As the episode concluded, viewers were left reminiscing about Halsey’s journey on Wheel of Fortune and eagerly anticipating what the next episodes would bring.
