Pat Sajak’s worst ‘Wheel of Fortune’ blunders

I’d like to buy a blunder.

For the past 40 seasons, Pat Sajak has been a mainstay on American television as the host of “Wheel of Fortune.”

The former KNBC weatherman has led the game show since 1981, after taking over the gig from Chuck Woolery, who later went on to host “The Love Connection,” “Scrabble” and “Greed.”

While the wheel has been turning for almost half a century — the game show debuted on January 6, 1975 — Sajak announced that the 41st season will serve as his final spin at the helm.

“The time has come,” Sajak, 76, tweeted on X, announcing his retirement in June. “I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)”

While Sajak and his letter turning colleague Vanna White, 66, have helped “Wheel of Fortune” become one of the most successful game shows in history, drawing in more than 26 million viewers per week, according to Sony Pictures Television, throughout his tenure the legend’s onscreen antics have occasionally left viewers quite puzzled and perplexed.

Before he says goodbye and is replaced by a very eager Ryan Seacrest, here’s a look back at the times Sajak’s actions left fans bankrupt for words.

Pat Sajak accepts the wrong answer


Passionate “Wheel of Fortune” fans were up in arms about the spelling error. Wheel of Fortune
Fans went ape when Sajak accepted the answer to one game show puzzle.

In October 2023, contestant Nadine Cedro of Toms River, New Jersey, was poised to answer the crossword puzzle in which the four separate word answers were all the second half of a compound word that began with “butter.”

Before she answered, Sajak reminded Cedro of the rules.

“Don’t say anything, don’t add anything,” he warned. “Go ahead.”

Wheel of Fortune board
Fans argued that Sajak accepted the answer despite the contestant saying the word wrong. Wheel of Fortune
Cedro then proceeded to seemingly say “fly,” “fingers,” “bean,” and “nuts” — but the right answers were “fly,” “fingers,” “bean,” and “nut.”

Despite adding an “S” to nuts, Sajak accepted the answer as correct, driving fans nuts.

“She said ‘nuts’, not ‘nut,’” one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Even closed captioning picked up the ‘s’.”

Another fan added, “#WheelOfFortune missed the lady saying ‘nuts’ instead of ‘nut.’ Pat was too quick to confirm.”

Pat Sajak puts contestant in a chokehold

Jackson solved the puzzle, which was the phrase “His mind is wandering,” for an additional $40,000 — bringing his grand total to $75,800.
Jackson solved the puzzle, which was the phrase “His mind is wandering,” for an additional $40,000 — bringing his grand total to $75,800. Wheel Of Fortune
Contestant Fred Jackson, a drama teacher and part-time wrestler, tackled the wheel in May 2023 and flexed his puzzle solving muscles by successfully solving every single puzzle in the episode.

For his perfect game, Jackson earned an impressive grand total of $75,800.

But after Jackson solved the final puzzle, “His mind is wandering,” fans were stunned when Sajak jumped him from behind and put him in a headlock.

“I would never wrestle a contestant like Sajak was doing if I was host of Wheel of Fortune I do handshakes literally,” slammed a viewer on X.

“What was with Pat at the end,” asked another.

But for Jackson, the moment was one he’ll always remember fondly.

 

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“As the guy he was putting in that hold, I loved that moment. L-O-V-E in capital letters,” he explained to TMZ. “That was one of the biggest highlights of the show. From my perspective to see the criticism he’s getting online is a little unfair. I was the one who was put in the hold and I was perfectly OK with it and I loved it.”

Jackson went on to ask fans to show the longtime host a little grace.

“To call it cringe and call for his retirement, that’s taking it a little too seriously, I think,” Fred added. “What you saw on the show is how it happened, I was so elated after my win that Pat just came up behind me out of nowhere.”

The winner even joked that Sajak may be in his seventies, but he’s still in great shape.

“I was genuinely trying to counter him and have a wrestling match. But he had me so tight that I wasn’t going anywhere, he’s stronger than he looks,” he recalled. “It just means that he has a much bigger knack for pro wrestling than I think anyone would give him credit for.”

Pat Sajak creepily says he hides in Vanna White’s garden

In May 2023, the host casually joked that he likes to hide in his colleague's garden.
In May 2023, Pat Sajak casually joked that he likes to hide in Vanna White’s garden. ABC via Getty Images
Move over Joe Goldberg.

In May 2023, the host casually joked that he likes to hide in his colleague’s garden.

At the end of the episode, Sajak and White engaged in their normal send off banter with the former asking, “So, when you’re away from the exciting world of show business, do you have a place to go to relax to get away from it all?”

White replied, “Yeah, my garden in my backyard! It’s peaceful, it’s quiet — there’s trees, there’s birds.”

Sajak agreed, saying: “That’s a nice change of pace.”

Before Pat Sajak gives his final clue, here's a look back at the times the host's odd onscreen antics left fans bankrupt for words.
For 40 seasons, Pat Sajak’s odd onscreen antics left “Wheel of Fortune” fans bankrupt for words.
White then posed the same question to Sajak causing the cringeworthy moment.

“Uh, you don’t know this, but it’s actually your garden,” joked Sajak, which ignited nervous laughter from the audience. “I’m usually there about 2, 3 in the morning. Don’t be alarmed!”

Trying to clean up the awkward exchange, White assured the crowd that Sajak was “joking,” but Sajak continued on with the problematic conversation.

“No, I’m not,” he mouthed to the audience. He then pretended to pick fruit from a tree and said, “I pick pears.”

Pat Sajak tells WWE contestant to strip

Sajak sent tongues a-waggin’ when he asked contestant and WWE star Austin Theory to take his shirt off in the middle of the game.
Sajak sent tongues a-waggin’ when he asked contestant and WWE star Austin Theory to take his shirt off in the middle of the game. WOF
The category is ab-tastic.

Sajak turned “Wheel of Fortune” into a “Wheel of Friskiness” when he asked WWE Austin Theory to take off his shirt near the the end of the March 31, 2023 episode.

The moment occurred during the WWE-themed week on the game show when the ripped wrestler and his partner, contestant Ray Simon, were told that they were not the winners.

The blow to their egos was especially tough because the duo had pompously declared earlier that they would easily reign supreme and were only present to “talk trash and make cash.”

Theory began to fake cry realizing his defeat, prompting Sajak to attempt to console him.

“It’s gonna be fine, you did just fine,” the host said. “Earlier in the week, Ray won $24,850, another $5,000 tonight, $29,850.”

Clearly in good spirits, Simon quipped that he could buy Theory “a full shirt” with his prize money.

“We’ll fill that in,” Sajak retorted as he then instructed the athlete to strip. “We’re selling that on eBay, take it off.”

Pat Sajak jokingly told WWE pro Austin Theory to take off his shirt on Friday's episode.
Pat Sajak jokingly told WWE pro Austin Theory to take off his shirt on Friday’s episode. WOF
Despite the odd moment, fans of the show were happy for the surprise eye candy.

“Austin Theory straight thirst trapping on Wheel Of Fortune,” commented one viewer on X.

Joked another, “Austin Theory is the first person I’ve seen show their abs on Wheel of Fortune.”

A third fan joked that Vanna might need to retire sooner rather than later.

“Thank you, Austin Theory, for being the scantily clad himbo we never knew we wanted on ‘Wheel of Fortune,” they wrote. “If Vanna ever wants to retire, I think you have a job waiting for you boo lol.”

Pat Sajak awkwardly pulls a contestant’s beard

Fans called the moment “cringey” on Twitter, as Sajak gave Weichert’s beard a pull on-air.
Fans called the moment “cringey” on Twitter, as Sajak gave Weichert’s beard a pull on-air. ABC
Sajak experienced instant regret when he got a little too handsy with a contestant during a March 2023 episode.

The host couldn’t help himself after contestant Greg Weichert, from Florida, explained that he’s been “helping out” Santa Claus for 25 years.

“I started a real beard about six years ago,” Weichert, who sported a long bushy silver beard, explained. “It made all the difference in the world.”

Sajak then asked Weichert if any of his six children, 14 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren pulled on the beard.

Once Weichert revealed that they did, Sajak said: “If I come over there, can I tug on it?”

After receiving the OK and giving the beard a hard yank, he admitted: “I’ve never done that, and I will never do it again.”

After the show aired, viewers immediately took to X to weigh in on the “cringey” moment.

“#PatSajak pulling on that dude’s beard was super cringy #WheelofFortune,” one person tweeted on X.

“@WheelofFortune why is host harassing contestant Greg of his body hair? Nobody grabbing pat’s fake wig? How rude!,” another viewer complained. “And name calling?? What is wrong with #patsajak ??!!”

A third fan chastised the host for ruining Christmas. “If @WheelofFortune & @patsajak could be a little more mindful of the younger audience they have when someone who plays Santa is on as a contestant, that would be super helpful,” the fan tweeted. “Really hard to keep the magic when someone named Howard talks about being a Santa Claus.”

Pat Sajak snaps at contestant: ‘Don’t ever do it again’

Dixie was given the puzzle under the category of "phrase" and the letters "R, S, T, L, N and E."
Dixie was given the puzzle under the category of “phrase” and the letters “R, S, T, L, N and E.” ABC/Wheel of Fortune
In May 2023, Sajak snapped when a contestant grabbed the envelope during the bonus round.

Previous contestant Christian Dixon was on the show for the second time as part of the show’s “Fan Favorite Week.”

After the Indiana native made it to the final round, he spun the bonus wheel and instinctively went to take the envelope.

Pat Sajak snaps at 'Wheel' contestant after he takes over host's job: 'donât ever do it again'
Pat Sajak snaps at ‘Wheel’ contestant after he takes over host’s job: ‘donât ever do it again’ ABC/Wheel of Fortune
“In fairness, we used to do it that way; the player would pick up the thing,” Sajak explained. “Don’t ever do it again.”

Despite the momentary fumble, Dixon went on to properly guess the last puzzle in a matter of seconds.

He walked away with a brand new Infinity car and a total of $64,615.