Wheel of Fortune Contestant Misses $40,000 Bonus After Tricky Final Puzzle Sparks Viewer Debate

A Valentine’s Day episode of Wheel of Fortune left viewers talking after contestant Conner Kemmsies came within one answer of winning a potentially life-changing $40,000 bonus.

The commercial pilot had already performed well, walking away with $19,080 in cash and prizes before entering the Bonus Round. But when the final puzzle appeared, Conner struggled to connect the letters he had been given with the answer the show was looking for.

The result was not only a missed bonus prize—it also sparked an online debate about whether the puzzle was actually a fair fit for the category “Phrase.”

Conner Kemmsies Had Already Won $19,080

Before reaching the Bonus Round, Conner had built an impressive total of $19,080 in cash and prizes.

That meant the contestant already had plenty to celebrate. Still, the Bonus Round offered the possibility of adding another $40,000 to his winnings.

With the clock running, everything came down to one final puzzle.

And that puzzle proved much harder than expected.

The Final Puzzle: “I DID MY HOMEWORK”

The Bonus Round category was “Phrase.”

Several letters were revealed, giving Conner a starting point. He quickly recognized the opening words:

“I DID MY…”

But the final word remained elusive.

As the seconds disappeared, Conner tried to work out what could complete the phrase. Unfortunately, the answer did not come to him before the timer reached zero.

Then the solution was revealed:

I DID MY HOMEWORK

The missed answer meant Conner lost the opportunity to claim the additional $40,000 bonus prize.

For a contestant who had already accumulated nearly $20,000, it was still a strong result—but missing the bonus made the ending especially frustrating.

Conner’s Funny Reaction to Missing the Answer

Rather than becoming visibly upset, Conner appeared to take the moment in stride.

After the answer was revealed, he joked:

“Aw, dude, I don’t do homework anymore. I’m not in school now.”

His reaction gave the disappointing moment a lighter tone.

It was also an amusing explanation for why the phrase had not immediately come to mind. After all, “I did my homework” is a sentence many people associate with school—and Conner was no longer a student.

Why Viewers Were Divided Over the Puzzle

The contestant’s performance was only part of the conversation.

After the episode, some viewers questioned whether “I DID MY HOMEWORK” was an appropriate answer for a Bonus Round category labeled “Phrase.”

For some fans, the wording felt less like a traditional phrase and more like an ordinary sentence.

One viewer argued that although the puzzle took some time to solve, “I did my homework” did not really qualify as a phrase.

Another viewer expressed a similar opinion, calling it simply a normal sentence.

That criticism quickly became part of the wider discussion surrounding the episode.