A contestant on a recent holiday episode of game show Wheel of Fortune almost completed a full victory lap, but missed the grand prize, a new Audi, on a technicality. Now the automaker says it’s gifting her the car anyway.
Charlene Rubush won out over her two competitors and made it to the coveted bonus round. You know the one, where you have 10 seconds to guess a puzzle, with the reward typically being a premium prize.
The theme of the puzzle was “What are you doing?” With the majority of letters present, Rubush’s first guess was “Choosing the right card,” which was incorrect. Mentally upshifting after a brief stall, she then came up with the correct answer: “Choosing the right word.” (Ironic, isn’t it?)
Sadly, the countdown timer horn beeped just before she spilled the correct response, and if we’re playing by the rules – which the game show did – that means she lost.
Ageless wonder and host Pat Sajak consoled Rubush, “You know, this one’s tough because you said all the right words, including the word ‘word,’ but as you know, it’s gotta be more or less continuous… We’ll allow for a little pause, but not four or five seconds. I’m sorry, but we can’t give you the prize, and it was the Audi.”
Pretty crummy, right? Well, turn that frown upside-down, as the power of social media flexed its muscles, starting with this Tweet from former “Jeopardy” winner Alex Jacob .
Come on @WheelofFortune, the woman literally chose the right word. Give her the car. pic.twitter.com/aAaMyFeEZl
— Alex Jacob (@whoisalexjacob) December 22, 2021
In the time it takes to drive from Mississauga to Toronto on the 401 in rush hour (a few hours) Audi chimed in and, in a smart PR move, awarded Rubush the A3 anyway, a prize valued in the mid-$30,000s.
“It is the season of giving after all and, technicality or not, we are always eager to share a bit of Audi magic and cheer!” Tara Rush, Audi of America Chief Marketing Officer, said in a statement to CNN .
In its best EV impression, Wheel of Fortune itself has been silent in requests for comments.
Even without the gifted A3, Rubush did take home US$16,500 in prize money from the show, a tidy sum indeed, and enough to cover the impending electrical issues with her Audi. Kidding, kidding!
Keyword: Game show spins its wheels after contestant stalls, but Audi gifts prize anyway