Viewers of Wheel of Fortune were left stunned Monday night when a tense Bonus Round cost contestant Michael Soltis a brand-new Jeep — and even caused him to blank under pressure. The episode featured three players: Soltis, a union carpenter from Pittsburgh; Eimi Smith from Austin; and LaShauan Swift, a retired Chicago Fire Department paramedic from Chicago. Soltis had a slow start, while Smith dominated early.
She swept the toss-ups and solved the first puzzle, “Accidentally on Purpose,” building a lead of $9,050. She added another solve, “Sleeping Bag of Tricks,” pushing her total to $10,350. Momentum shifted during the Prize Puzzle round. Soltis secured a Wild Card and correctly solved “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” earning a trip to Africa and boosting his total to $14,690.
He continued his surge by claiming two of the three Triple Toss-Ups, while Swift finally got on the board by solving one. Soltis sealed his comeback by cracking the final puzzle, “The Wild Wild West,” with only three letters revealed. “You got that one quickly,” host Ryan Seacrest commented as the round ended.
By the end of regular play, Soltis led with $20,240, advancing to the Bonus Round. Smith finished with $10,350, while Swift took home $2,000 and the thrill of fulfilling a lifelong dream of appearing on the show. Despite his strong performance, the pressure-packed Bonus Round proved costly, leaving viewers shocked as Soltis narrowly missed out on the grand prize.