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‘Wheel of Fortune’ slammed over ‘bogus’ bonus round puzzle

Newsweek · · 314 words · By Jane LaCroix
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What to know about ‘Wheel of Fortune’ slammed over ‘bogus’ bonus round puzzle

“Wheel of Fortune” fans are spinning mad after a Bonus Round puzzle left a contestant (and most of the internet) completely stumped.

Claims checked 11
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

“Wheel of Fortune” fans are spinning mad after a Bonus Round puzzle left a contestant (and most of the internet) completely stumped.

Why it matters

On Thursday, April 9, returning champion Jim Spallina from Chicago came back for his second game after winning $13,800 the day before.

Common ground

For the month of April, the show is having the previous night's winner return for another shot at the prize, coming back until they lose.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/tv/wheel-of-fortune-slammed-over-bogus-bo…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
info Single Source 1
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Claim 1: “Ally Metcalf... chose the 'People' category and brought her husband Ryan along for support.”
CORROBORATED
Two web search results confirm that Ally Metcalf chose the 'People' category and brought her husband, Ryan, to the show.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The seventh season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Cult, takes place in the fictional suburb of Brookfield Heights, Michigan, during the year 2017, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Horror_Story:_Cult
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Austin & Ally is an American comedy television series created by Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert that aired on Disney Channel from December 2, 2011 to January 10, 2016. The series stars Ross Lynch, La…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Austin_&_Ally_episodes
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mr Inbetween is an Australian dark comedy-crime drama television series which premiered on FX on 25 September 2018 in the United States, followed by Fox Showcase in Australia on 1 October 2018. The se…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Inbetween
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 2: “She was spotted handing out rainbow-colored ‘Wheel of Fortune’ fans to festivalgoers and catching Addison Rae's set from the VIP section.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 3: “With the clock ticking, Metcalf guessed 'Paddles' for the last word but couldn't crack it in time. The answer? 'Chummy Buddies.'”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that Metcalf guessed 'Paddles' but the correct answer was 'Chummy Buddies.'
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Metcalf guessed 'Paddles' for the last word but couldn't solve the full phrase in time. The correct answer was 'Chummy Buddies,' which many viewers found to be an obscure and unnatural phrase. The epi…
https://nationaltoday.com/us/tx/memphis-tx/news/2026/04/13/w…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Tonight (Thursday, 9 April 2026), we've got the latest on everything - the bonus puzzle, all answers and contestants - that you need to know about tonight's episode of Wheel of Fortune! The post is up…
https://tvregular.com/2026/04/09/wheel-of-fortune-april-9-20…
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web search NEUTRAL — Find out the answer for today's Wheel of Fortune Bonus Puzzle below! Plus, get all the answers for the tossups and regular puzzles, plus find out the winner for the Thursday, 9 April 2026 episode.
https://tveveryday.com/wheel-of-fortune-bonus-puzzle-answers…
info
Claim 4: “After the standard letters were revealed and she added M, D, P, and A, the board showed: '_ _ MM _ _DD_ES.'”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the claim describes a specific puzzle board state ('_ _ MM _ _DD_ES') after adding letters, none of the gathered web search results contain this specific sequence or confirm that these letters (M, D, P, A) were added in this manner to create this exact pattern.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 12, 2015 · Can you find the mother of the baby in the picture below?
https://gpuzzles.com/brain-questions/picture-brain-teasers/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Picture Brain Teasers helps you to test your mental and visual acuity. It provides you images with riddles hidden in them. It is one of the most inter
https://www.gpuzzles.com/quiz/picture-brain-teasers-with-ans…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Anne has written the murdered name in cipher on the floor as "dqvxf".
https://www.gpuzzles.com/mind-teasers/sherlock-holmes-anne-c…
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Claim 5: “For the month of April, the show is having the previous night's winner return for another shot at the prize, coming back until they lose.”
CORROBORATED
Two web search results confirm the existence of a format where winners return nightly until they lose. One source specifically mentions the 'Spring Forward' champion format allowing winners to return nightly until they lose.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Wheel of Fortune (often known simply as Wheel[g]) is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show has aired continuously since January 6, 1975. Contestants solve word puzzles, si…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_Fortune_(American_gam…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Inside the 'Spring Forward' format and its early results The 'Spring Forward' champion format allows winners to return nightly until they lose, echoing earlier return rules used in the show's history.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/insight/wheel-of-fortune-fans…
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web search NEUTRAL — All April, contestants have the chance to come back and keep their streak going. As their wins add up, so does your chance to win up to $5,000 each night.
https://www.wheeloffortune.com/
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Claim 6: “it was fellow contestant Ally Metcalf from Memphis, Texas, who made it to the Bonus Round.”
CORROBORATED
Two web search results explicitly state that Ally Metcalf from Memphis, Texas, was the contestant who made it to the Bonus Round.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Great Food Truck Race is an American reality competition and cooking television series that airs on Food Network. The series is hosted by Tyler Florence. It first premiered on August 15, 2010. The…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Great_Food_Truck_R…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Watch Milano Cortina 2026 LIVE: https://go.olympics.com/watch Re-live ALL the incredible #Paris2024 action https://go.olympics.com/watch Usain Bolt i...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuiJHJz4f5Q
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — View Ally Metcalf’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional community of 1 billion members.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allymetcalf
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 7: “On Thursday, April 9, returning champion Jim Spallina from Chicago came back for his second game after winning $13,800 the day before.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that on Thursday, April 9, Jim Spallina from Chicago returned for a second game after winning $13,800 the day before. One source mentions him returning on April 9 after winning $13,000 the day before.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 Premier Lacrosse League season was the 7th season of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). The regular season began on May 30 and ran through August 9. The playoffs ran from August 22 through Se…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Premier_Lacrosse_League_s…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Stony Brook Seawolves are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Stony Brook University (SBU) in Stony Brook, New York. The Seawolves play as members of the Coastal Athletic Associatio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stony_Brook_Seawolves
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2019 Major League Lacrosse season was the 19th season of Major League Lacrosse. The regular season began on Friday, May 31 and ended on Sunday, September 22. It was the first time the league would…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Major_League_Lacrosse_sea…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 8: “Meanwhile, the game show’s letter turner Vanna White had a very different kind of weekend. While fans were debating the merits of 'Chummy Buddies' online, the 67-year-old co-host was at Coachella with her kids.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results or cross-references regarding Vanna White attending Coachella with her children while fans discussed 'Chummy Buddies.'
help
Claim 9: “Even host Ryan Seacrest acknowledged the difficulty. 'It's a tricky one,' he said after time expired.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results or cross-references regarding Ryan Seacrest describing the puzzle as tricky after time expired.
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Claim 10: “She walked away without the Ford she was playing for, though she did earn a second chance on Friday's episode.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that Metcalf did not win the Ford but was awarded a second chance on Friday's episode.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of television films produced for the cable network Hallmark Channel from 2000 to 2015 including its early years corresponding to the 2000–2007 period. Such films are currently called Ha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hallmark_Channel_Origi…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jessie is an American comedy television series created by Pamela Eells O'Connell that aired on Disney Channel from September 30, 2011 to October 16, 2015. The series stars Debby Ryan, Peyton List, Cam…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jessie_episodes
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Steven Universe is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. The series revolves around Steven Universe (voiced by Zach Callison), who protects his hometown …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Steven_Universe_episod…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 11: “While Spallina solved 'Bite-Size Candy' in the final round, bringing his two-day total to $21,500.”
CORROBORATED
Two web search results confirm that Jim Spallina solved 'Bite-Size Candy' in the final round. One source states this solved puzzle brought him a two-day total of $21,500.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — While Spallina solved “Bite-Size Candy” in the final round, bringing his two-day total to $21,500, it was fellow contestant Ally Metcalf from Memphis, Texas, who made it to the Bonus Round.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/wheel-of-fortune-slam…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Metcalf solved two of the three Triple Toss-ups. Spallina finally got on the board when he solved the third one. The returning champion solved “Bite-Size Candy” for the final puzzle, giving him a tota…
https://www.tvinsider.com/1257689/wheel-of-fortune-car-loss-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — View Jim Spallina’s profile on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional community. Jim has 1 job listed on their profile.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-spallina-41694a9
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.