#Wheel of Fortune Contestant Gifted Audi Q3 After Fan Outrage Over Technicality

When Wheel of Fortune viewers cried foul over a contestant missing out on a prize, Audi made things right. On Tuesday night’s edition of the popular game show, contestant Charlene Rubush had been doing great when she headed into the Bonus Round with $16,500. Things took a turn when she was solving a “What Are You Doing?” puzzle, as Rubush took a pause while delivering the correct answer.

At first, Rubush said the wrong phrase, but was able to figure it out in the nick of time. “Choosing the right… word,” Rubush said, getting the answer in right before the buzzer. This was technically correct, but host Pat Sajak informed her that the pause she took before saying the word “word” made the answer unacceptable. This also meant that Rubush didn’t get the Audi Q3 that came with that puzzle.

“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,” Sajak said on the program. “We’ll allow for a little pause but not four or five seconds. I’m sorry. You did a good job in getting it, but we can’t give you the prize, and it was the Audi.”

Wheel of Fortune viewers largely found this to be unfair, and they made their opinions heard on social media. The backlash spawned the hashtag #GiveHerTheQ3, and it wasn’t long before Audi caught wind of the campaign. The company’s official account posted that they’ve found the contestant so they could give her the Audi that so many Wheel of Fortune fans believe she deserves.

“In the spirit of the holidays, we are thrilled to gift Charlene with an all-new Audi Q3,” the company stated, per TMZ. “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!”

Wheel of Fortune has been one of America’s most popular game shows for many years, but it has not gone without its controversies. Earlier this year, Pat Sajak had come under fire online for the way he had introduced one of the contestants at the start of a program, seemingly mocking the man’s lisp. Another incident from last year saw some fans getting upset with Sajak over the way he raised his voice at a contestant. In that case, Sajak appeared to be joking, but he still drew criticism from the Twitter crowd.


In 2019, there was also an incident where fans grew upset over a contestant missing out on a prize because of a technicality. Kristen Shaw lost her trip to Nashville when she accidentally included the word “and” in her answer, as the official rules state that contestants are only permitted to say the answer exactly as it appears in the board. That’s what made this new situation with Charlene Rubush so offensive to many, as she had said the right words, just apparently not quickly enough. The city of Nashville later gifted her the vacation.

Wheel of Fortune was previously renewed through 2023, so the show isn’t going anywhere for a while.

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