“What a nerd”: Fans poke fun at embarrassing “Wheel of Fortune” food puzzle answer

“I was watching. Worst I’ve ever seen ‘live’ on tv. What a nerd,” one fan said on X

By Joy Saha

Staff Writer

Published January 2, 2025 4:01PM (EST)

Slice of Cheesecake (Getty Images/Rebeca Mello)
Slice of Cheesecake (Getty Images/Rebeca Mello)

An erroneous, yet comical, puzzle answer on Monday’s episode of “Wheel of Fortune” spurred countless fan reactions online.

The moment occurred when contestants had to guess a three-word answer in the show’s “food & drink” category. One contestant, Gaelyn Nease, guessed multiple letters on the board, which eventually read “Ne_ / _or_ / _heese_a_e.” Nease then attempted to solve the puzzle, but instead of guessing “New York Cheesecake” (the correct answer), she said “New York Cheesesteak.”

Fans of the show were quick to call out Nease’s on-screen flop. Many pointed to the fact that before Nease’s turn, contestant Mike Tomani guessed “T,” which wasn’t a letter on the board. Others were more ruthless in their reactions.

“A new all-time horrible answer on #wheel,” said one user on X alongside a video of Nease’s blunder.

“I was watching. Worst I’ve ever seen ‘live’ on tv. What a nerd,” said another user on X.

“Game shows are hard but yes that should’ve been gotten,” another commenter wrote.


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