Indiana University freshman Julian Batts appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday to discuss an unfortunate string of answers on Wheel of Fortune that cost him a chance to win $1 million, a car and a trip to Jamaica.
Although Batts eventually won the game on the show that aired Friday, collecting $11,700, his mistakes cost him plenty.
The $1 million loss involved the mispronunciation of Achilles after completing the letters to almost solve the puzzle, “Mythological Hero Achilles.” He pronounced the name “A-chill-is.”
When a contestant solves a puzzle, they must do so using “the generally accepted pronunciation,” Wheel of Fortune said in a statement to ABC News.
In the “Person” category, one letter was missing from “The World’s Fastest _a_.” Batts chose the letter “C” instead of an “M,” leaving another contestant to solve it: “The World’s Fastest Man.”
In yet another incident, Batts said, “On the Spot Dice Spin” instead of ‘On the Spot Decision.”
“I don’t think anyone has ever taken a more circuitous route to victory, but the important thing is you’re here and you’ve got $11,700, and we’re pleased about that,” the show’s host, Pat Sajak, said during the episode.
Read more at ABC News.