This is one spin that didn’t pay off.
“Wheel of Fortune” contestant Vivian Tran lost out on a $1 million prize on Monday night’s episode.
During Ryan Seacrest’s second week of hosting the long-running game show, Tran missed one word during the puzzle.
“My heart is racing, this is a first for me,” Seacrest, 49, said during the Bonus Round. “You’re playing for $1 million.”
Tran additionally received a wild card for an extra letter.
Seacrest, who replaced host Pat Sajak just a few weeks ago after his retirement, explained that the show had replaced the usual $100,000 envelope with a $1 million envelope.
Tran spun a small wheel that held the envelopes and randomly selected one.
The puzzle category was “What Are You Doing?” and Tran chose the letters C, H, M, I and P.
“Wheel of Fortune” co-host Vanna White then revealed the correct letters the player selected on the board, leaving the prompt to read “_ _ _ E R I N G S _ M E HELP.”
Tran shared with Seacrest that she was “nervous” before she attempted several guesses at the puzzle.
“Wondering some help? Answering some help? Finding some help? Looking around for some help? Boundary for help?”
The “Wheel of Fortune” puzzle unveiled the answer as: “Offering some help,” with Tran becoming frustrated and emotional over missing out on the correct sentence.
Seacrest revealed that her envelope contained the coveted $1 million prize, and Tran immediately put her head in her hands.
Despite missing out on the grand prize, she was still in good spirits as she managed to walk away with $27,300 and a trip to Europe.
“The stakes this season are already at an all-time high and it’s only Week 2,” the caption read beneath the clip on the official “Wheel of Fortune” Instagram account.
Fans flocked to the comments section to share their shock on the loss, with one user writing, “I literally gasped when Ryan revealed that she had the Million,” while another chimed in, “So close, but Vivian you still did amazing!!”
Following the show, the “Wheel of Fortune” player was interviewed by Sajak’s daughter Maggie about what went down.
Tran revealed that her mom had reservations about her being on the show, but she proved her wrong by walking away with some kind of prize and earnings.
“It turned out great, a little bit painful, but I’m grateful for the opportunity,” she confessed.
She further explained, “I knew the last two words… but the first one… I couldn’t get the syllables. It was 10 seconds, so by the time it got to the eighth second, I was like, ‘Ugh,’ and I missed it.”
But social media followers showed their support beneath the Instagram clip, with one fan sharing, “YIKES! There is something about the word ‘OFF’ and having the top prize envelope… Excellent work, Vivian!!”
Maggie captioned her post, “As much as we wish we got to see Vivian walk away with a MILLION DOLLARS, she still had a great run tonight.”
The last “Wheel of Fortune” contestant to take home the $1 million prize was in 2014. However, in October 2021, “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” alum Melissa Joan Hart won the jackpot during an episode of “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.”