We all know TV hosts aren’t really like their TV personas,
but is it possible that Pat Sajak is…over it?
Here are some Wheel of Fortune gaffes that make fans think Sajak might be headed for retirement.
Pat Sajak and his hosting partner Vanna White
have been brutally honest with fans about their futures on "Wheel of Fortune."
Shortly after the two extended their contracts into 2024, they sat down with ET,
where Sajak said he "wouldn't bet" on them being on the show in 10 years. The TV legend admitted:
"We're certainly closer to the end than the beginning.
I'd like to leave before people tune in and look at me and say, 'Oh, what happened to him?'"
Sajak's contract renewal also came with the added responsibility of becoming the show's coordinating
producer. However, he relinquished one of his duties as host, taking a small step toward the
day he'll step down from the role: It was decided that he would no longer touch the wheel for the
"final spin." This duty was transferred to the contestant. Sajak explained the change to Variety:
"If you think about it, by doing the 'final spin' I,
as host, had an impact on the outcome of the game and that has always bothered me because
it just didn't feel right. [This way], the host does not impose themself in any way."
Pat Sajak is known for his humorous banter with contestants, often pretending to be frustrated
over mistakes and foolish responses. However, according to Yahoo! Entertainment, the host
"finally snapped" at a "Wheel of Fortune" contestant in November 2020. Before the outburst,
Darin McBain and the host had a friendly exchange about his mother's three-day run on the show
back in 1982. But things got a little tense when McBain questioned the winning
phrase of a puzzle about kitchen objects. This is what went down.
McBain thought his winning puzzle answer was worded oddly, and he said as much to Sajak:
"Kitchen oven? What was that?"
The host fired right back:
"Yeah, where else would you keep an oven?"
McBain wouldn’t let it go, asking again:
"Who calls it a 'kitchen oven?'"
This was enough for Pat Sajak.
"You won! Don't argue, Darin. You got the puzzle. Ungrateful players, I've had it!"
McBain laughed off the remark while Sajak insisted he was joking,
but the host still apologized for his outburst later in the show.
While we’re inclined to think that the confrontation was all in good fun,
some on the internet did not agree. One Twitter user called for Sajak to
be replaced by his "nicer" co-host Vanna White and another suggested that Sajak was
"sick [of] hosting" the show. Could it be that there’s some strain behind Pat’s humorous facade?
As the host of "Wheel of Fortune," Pat Sajak is required to say and do certain things to keep the
show running. In December 2020, contestant Sheryl Senet messed up his flow by spinning the wheel
too early, and things were off to a bad start. Sajak reproved the hasty contestant, saying:
"I stopped you in mid-spin because I hadn't given the category yet, but that's all right.
It's all my fault. I'm the captain of the ship, and it's going down."
Part of Sajak's job is to also make sure the show's sponsors get their proper shoutout.
He got a little testy with Senet when she wanted
to buy a vowel while he was promoting Dick's Sporting Goods, telling her,
"Never interrupt a plug."
The contestant laughed it off, but some Twitter users weren't so amused. One wrote:
"Remember people, never interrupt the MAN."
Another tweeted:
"Did Pat stop drinking caffeine this week or something?
He's had ZERO patience and I'm pretty sure he genuinely hates Sheryl."
Others thought that people were overreacting to Sajak's warning
and that he wasn't being rude at all, with one defender writing:
"Nothing wrong with this exchange."
You’ve seen the clip. Do you think Sajak was lashing out?
"Wheel of Fortune" fans were not happy with Pat Sajak after he allegedly
mimicked a contestant's lisp. When asked about his day job, contestant Chris Brimble talked
about his company, which sells technology to help the elderly in nursing homes.
The host wondered if it was a difficult job due to the older adults not being open to new things,
but Brimble assured him this was a myth. The 74 year old host then saw fit to reply:
"I thee."
Brimble laughed it off,
but the audience and Twitter collectively cringed in horror. One Twitter user said:
"He has a mean streak or an unthinking streak. Whichever ... it needs to STOP."
Despite the uproar, the incident didn't seem to affect Brimble's puzzle-solving,
who went home with over $12,000.
When you've hosted the same game show for 40 years, it may be tough to keep
up with happenings outside of the "Wheel" bubble. Maybe that's why Pat Sajak doesn't
have any clue who some of today's popular actors are, including Benedict Cumberbatch.
The Brit, most commonly known for his roles in "Doctor Strange" and "Sherlock," was part of an
answer on the show's "Before & After" category, which "Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune" contestant
Tatyana Ali correctly solved. Sajak didn't quite understand the answer and asked "The
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star to explain. This made Ali rethink her own knowledge.
Sajak admitted he was relying on Ali's answer because he didn't know who Cumberbatch was.
"My apologies, Mr. Cumberbatch."
"He’s an amazing actor!"
"But I spend a lot of time in my basement. I have no idea what's going on."
The show's Twitter account also owned up to the blunder, tweeting,
"Our apologies, Benedict Cumberbatch!," with a crying laughing face.
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