The Hilarious Reason That Wheel Of Fortune Contesant Guessed Popsicle Bike

wheel of fortune popsicle pike

Recently, one Wheel of Fortune contestant found herself the center of much attention after making what is easily one of the weirdest, funniest and (sorry) dumbest guesses to ever meet Pat Sajak's ears: popsicle bike. It's an answer so odd that you don't even need to see the letter board itself to know how wrong it was, and many viewers wondered how in the world Melinda Gardner came up with that. Well, thanks to Jimmy Kimmel Live!, we now know, and this was her hilarious response.

I was wondering the same thing, and then I thought about it and said: Pat was on one side, and [husband Larry] was on the other, so I think I needed to be cooled off. So that's the first thing I thought about. Popsicle. And I couldn't figure out the second word, so I just said 'bike.'

To be expected, Melinda and her husband Larry Gardner were in good and humorous spirits when talking about their time on Wheel of Fortune, particularly the small amount of time when the ridiculous pair of words "popsicle bike" popped out. And I can't exactly argue with the reasoning behind this answer, since there's obvious pressureinvolved with being on TV under stage lights and trying to make an educated guess about anything. And at least her answer was amusing and not exactly based on strict reality, since it would be impossible to give a logically sound basis for popsicle bike ever coming up in one's brain. At least "A Streetcar Naked Desire" was only off in one respect.

For his part, Larry Gardner pointed out that he was basically just there to spin the wheel and that kinda thing. But I guess that doesn't keep him from being able to enjoy the extremely fabulous prize that Jimmy Kimmel and the show's producers fixed up for the couple. (And it wasn't their only prize, as they ended up winners of the Wheel of Fortune episode.) Check out this amazingness below.

popsicle bike

No, it's not a frozen bike that tastes like fun fruit flavors, but it IS covered in popsicle sticks, and that's the next best thing. Well, I guess having all the snacks those sticks came from would be the next best thing, or maybe the best thing. Nah, the best thing would be winning the grand prize.

You can catch more Wheel of Fortune, and presumably more contestants making jaw-droppingly silly guesses, when the show airs weeknights in syndication. (Check those local listings.) Jimmy Kimmel Live! hits ABC every evening at 11:35 p.m. ET, and you can head to the next page to watch the interview itself. For everything else that the small screen will offer audiences in the near future, head to our midseason premiere guide and our summer TV schedule.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.