A “Wheel of Fortune” contestant may have lost the bonus round puzzle during his appearance on the long-running game show, but he won over viewers.
On a recent episode, Ben Tucker, from California, gazed at the big board as the clock ticked away and did his best to figure out the puzzle at hand with just five letters and a category to go on. The answer escaped him, and when host Pat Sajak revealed the solution, Tucker offered a theory as to why.
The category for the four-word conundrum was “Fun & Games,” and the answer was “taking a quick jog.”
It was a combo that prompted Tucker to give Sajak a blunt response, stating, “Well, see, I don’t consider jogging fun and games.”
"Oh, well there you go," said the host, as Tucker gave the live audience a thumbs-up and they gave him a smattering of applause.
At the beginning of the episode, Sajak had teased Tucker while introducing him, saying, "You're going to be trouble, aren't you?"
Over on social media, however, Tucker earned a bigger reaction from the at-home audience.
"Finally! A contestant finally speaks out about the answers not matching the category!" one fan wrote when the official "Wheel of Fortune" Instagram account shared a clip of the exchange. "The kid was great!"
Another wrote, "Nobody considers that fun and games that’s fitness, come on."
"He’s right — jogging is neither fun, nor a game," yet another viewer added. "Give him his cash."
Those sentiments were repeated over and over again in the comments that followed the post, and in a surprising twist, despite Tucker's bonus round loss, even the show seems to be on his side.
The caption that accompanied the clip on Instagram conceded that Tucker "has a point.”