A contestant on Wednesday's "Wheel Of Fortune" happened to rattle off what host Pat Sajak called "the most amazing solve in my 30+ years on the show," the A.V. Club reported.
That is probably not an exaggeration since this is as stunning as televised Hangman gets.
Contestant Emil de Leon from Daly City, Calif., was given two letters of a three word, 12-letter puzzle during the bonus round. Even Sajak was doubtful that the contestant could figure out the "Thing," Today Entertainment reported.
"Uhh ... this looks tough to me!" the host laughed. "You're a very good puzzle solver, but I don't know ..."
However, Emil immediately blurted out "New Baby Buggy" but kept guessing since the board did not reveal the answer after his guess.
The full three seconds that elapse between Emil's answer and the puzzle board lighting up is among the highlights of this bonus round.
According to the A.V. Club, that delay is the sound of Sajak, Vanna White, and the Wheel Of Fortune production crew thinking, "What the hell?"
Sajak merely stood stunned and shook his head for a bit, before turning to Emil and patting him down to check for any cheat sheets.
"This puzzle was not meant to be solved," the A.V. Club reported. "This is the kind of puzzle that an executive producer slips into the mix when the show is pushing its prize budget for the month."
Emil is questioned by Pat and Vanna after the post-victory commercial break to reveal how he solved the puzzle.
While the interview offered a rare glimpse of the used-letter board, Emil explained to the home viewers that he glanced up at the used-letter board, saw the letter "B" first, and took this as a sign that many of the blank spots in the puzzle would be "B."
Emil may have taped the episode in January, but when the episode aired Wednesday, he was still as excited about the win, Today Entertainment reported.
