Pat Sajak Apologized To This ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Contestant After He Went Bankrupt On This Puzzle: “You Were Doing A Nice Job”

Wheel of Fortune contestant Nick Day made a major fumble during Wednesday’s (Dec. 6) episode, causing him to lose a whopping $8,650 on a single letter.

Host Pat Sajak explained the rules to Day when the contestant landed on an express wedge in the category “What Are You Doing.”

“Now listen, Nick, I have work to do as the host, I have to explain this thing!” Sajak told him, per The Sun. “If you do the express thing, you keep calling consonants, you get $1,000 for each one, and you can buy vowels.”

But Sajak warned, “If you miss any letter, it’s a bankrupt. Are you gonna do this?”

Day was enthusiastic going into the puzzle. “Let’s do it!” he exclaimed.

The phrase had four words and 23 letters. Day began by guessing L, I, and two T’s. He had a very successful run, with only four letters remaining blank when he made a major mistake.

He incorrectly guessed M, causing him to lose all $8,650 he had just earned on the puzzle. Even Vanna White seemed disappointed by the mistake.

“Oh no!” Day exclaimed as his prize money got wiped out.

Sajak apologized to the disappointed contestant before moving on to his opponent. “Nick, I’m sorry. You were doing a nice job there,” he said. “Beth, it’s your turn.”

Contestant Beth Livingston, a mother-of-two from Florida, was able to guess it easily when she suggested the phrase “Decorating The Whole House.”

She then moved on to the Bonus Round and successfully guessed yet another puzzle, allowing her to walk away with a grand total of $57,359.

Wheel of Fortune airs on weeknights at 7:30/6:30c. Check out their website for your local listings.