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'Wheel of Fortune' contestant loses over a small slip — and fans say the host 'robbed' her of a win

"NEETU got robbed on that puzzle," said an agitated fan while slamming Pat Sajak

With over 8,000 episodes under his belt, Pat Sajak remained a fan favorite on 'Wheel of Fortune' until his 2024 farewell. However, despite his longstanding popularity, Sajak wasn’t immune to backlash. In one notable instance, viewers slammed Sajak after a mistake cost a contestant a potential win. Furious fans openly called him out, creating a moment Sajak would likely prefer to forget in his otherwise iconic run.

The drama unfolded in May 2023, after a ruling against contestant Neetu Varshney during 'Wheel of Fortune's' second Toss-Up puzzle. Varshney, a New Jersey teacher and STEM supervisor, answered "In a moment's notice," but Sajak deemed it incorrect. Fellow contestant Jeremy Manos then correctly solved the puzzle with "At a moment’s notice," winning $2,000. This fueled frustration among fans who felt Varshney's answer was close enough, according to the New York Post. Notably, Varshney left the show without any winnings but received a $1,000 consolation prize.

After the episode aired, 'Wheel of Fortune' fans flocked to X, where many openly criticized Sajak. A fan commented, "Neetu deserved that puzzle win @WheelofFortune #wheeloffortune she definitely said "At a moment’s notice," while another remarked, "@WheelofFortune @patsajak NEETU got robbed on that puzzle solve! Booo!" A fan noted, "@WheelofFortune You all robbed Neetu on last night's episode. She solved the first two puzzles correctly, but because of her accent, Pat "old Man sajak" said they were incorrect. I watched over and over again, and she had Both Mall of America & At A moment's notice correctly!" A fan wrote, "Pat this is kinda unfair, man."

This wasn't the only time Sajak faced criticism. In another episode, viewers slammed him for appearing rude to contestant Scott Ingwersen. During the player interview, Ingwersen expressed gratitude to the strangers who helped reattach his toe 30 years ago. However, Sajak abruptly questioned the contestant's story, asking, "Why am I mentioning this? It's on your card. You had your big toe chopped off. Why are you telling this?" as per Inside the Magic. 

To which Ingwersen calmly explained, "It's important to know that when I was 12 years old, I was riding a 10-speed bike with flip-flops, and I fell and completely cut off the top of my toe." He continued, "The next car that came by had two paramedics that were on their way to their job, and they said, 'It's just a laceration.' But I didn't know what that was, so it freaked me out even more. And my toe is reattached, and I just want to say thank you to them 30 years later." Sajak responded with a comment that drew criticism from viewers as he said, "That may have been the most pointless story ever told. And you told it, Scott. Congratulations to you." 

Notably, In June 2024, Sajak opened up about his 'Wheel of Fortune' retirement during a heartfelt interview with his daughter Maggie Sajak in a miniseries titled 'Thanks For The Memories.' Explaining his decision, Sajak said, "My goal was not to do the job until I keel over on it. You've always heard me say this dozens of times, I'd rather leave a couple of years too early than a couple of years too late," as per People. Sajak then shared that while he still felt capable of hosting the show, he was ready to move on and explore other aspects of life after 40 successful years. The host also expressed confidence in his decision to retire, believing the timing was right and feeling at peace with stepping away.