‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant says he did his best
Indiana University freshman Julian Batts says he did the best that he could when he answered questions on “Wheel of Fortune”.
Unfortunately, his best just wasn’t good enough.
Batts filled in the letters to practically solve the puzzle “Mythological Hero Achilles,” but he mispronounced the hero’s name, saying instead: “A-chill-is.”
It cost him potentially $1 million.
In an interview with “Good Morning America,” Batts explained what was going through his mind when he realized what had slipped through his fingers in the episode, which aired Friday during the show’s College Week
“It just kind of hit me like a train and I really didn’t know how to react to it – the game continued on and [another contestant from] Texas A&M, she solved it and it hit me right then and there that it was Achilles,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I made a mistake but I feel like I solved the puzzle entirely and all I had to do was read it and I just went for it and I did my best.”
In a statement to ABC News, “Wheel of Fortune” said: “When a contestant tries to solve a puzzle, they must pronounce it using the generally accepted pronunciation.”
Batts went on to incorrectly solve two additional puzzles, but went on to win the game with $11,700.
Batts says that despite the mishaps, “it was one of the greatest experiences I’ve accomplished so far.”
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