Just in time!
“Wheel of Fortune” contestant Max McGee capitalized on a late-game error and walked away with a new Mustang convertible with little time to spare in the game’s bonus round on Thursday.
But McGee first moved on to the bonus round after taking advantage of another player’s mistake.
Many fans believed Max stole the final spin from another contestant during Thursday’s showing of Wheel of Fortune. NTVIt was time for the final spin on the game show, and the category selected was “Phrase.”
Two other contestants alongside McGee guessed a few letters to fill on the board, when one of them, a player named Patricia, took a swing at the whole puzzle reading _, _ _ _ T _ N _ , _ _, T_ _, _ _ N _ _.
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“A MEETING OF THE MIND!” Patricia shouted out.
Patricia had only compiled $6,000 in the bonus round when she made her guess, trailing Max and the third contestant Billie who each earned $12,000.
Patricia, however, didn’t say the phrase properly and was buzzed off.
Billie correctly selected a letter but didn’t offer an answer, allowing McGee to swoop in for what fans proclaim was “the steal.”
“M!” McGee initially goes. Then he hesitates a little before correctly saying, “A MEETING OF THE MINDS!”
The correct answer was “meeting of the minds,” but Patricia said “meeting of the mind” — forgetting one letter. NTVHost Pat Sajak comes around the table to congratulate him, but he also acknowledged how Patricia laid the groundwork for McGee to win the round.
“Would’ve been a great solve…obviously Patricia left that ‘S’ off. But you picked it up and you end up as the big winner…,” Sajak says.
“That was a terrific guess, and I am so sorry. One letter got ya there,” he sorrowfully expresses to Patricia. “On the bright side, Patricia was able to walk away with the $4,000 she had remaining.”
McGee, an avid “Wheel of Fortune” watcher from Illinois, advanced to the bonus round where he was given the option to choose his next category of “Phrase.”
He needed to fill in nine blank spots across four words to complete the puzzle, which initially stumped the longtime fan.
Max moved onto the bonus round where he guessed the whole puzzle correct to win it all. Wheel of Fortune“Lets go H, D, C, O,” he says, as all of the letters he guesses were able to make the board that read, _E, _ RE, _O_ _ _ N_, _OR_ _RD.
“WE ARE MOVING FORWARD!” McGee correctly let out as the buzzer expired as Sajak checked with the judges for approval.
Contestants receive about 10 seconds to solve the puzzle if they reach the game’s bonus round.
“Wheel” fans were irate after many thought McGee wouldn’t have made it to the bonus round without help from Patricia’s partially correct answer.
Max, an avid “Wheel of Fortune” watcher from Illinois, took home a Mustang Convertible. Wheel of Fortune“2 minutes i’m shaking and i don’t think max should be in this bonus round of wheel of fortune,” one fan said, right before he walked away with his sweet Mustang.
“Max definitely STOLE it from Patricia! He COULDN’T have done it on his own! He would’ve thought the puzzle solve was an “E”! LMAOOOOO!” another upset fan let out.
