Pat Sajak admits a contestant ‘completely fooled’ him in one of his last ‘Wheel of Fortune’ moments
Pat Sajak needs no introduction. Having hosted 'Wheel of Fortune' for over 41 years, Sajak has interacted with countless contestants and supported them throughout their journeys. However, in a rare instance, Sajak himself was momentarily fooled by a contestant. The moment unfolded as the contestant was on the verge of a big payday following a seemingly tragic fail. Even Sajak couldn’t help but laugh and, upon realizing what had happened, quickly admitted to being “completely fooled.”
The contestant in question is Temika, who had a strong game, winning a wildcard wedge, a vacation, and banking $44,690 before even reaching the bonus round. In the final puzzle under the Phrase category, the board showed "OR_S L _E _ GC." Standing beside her was a hopeful Sajak, who was eager to see one last $1 million winner before his retirement, but Temika struggled to solve the phrase, per The Express US.
As the puzzle "OR_S L _E _ GC" appeared, Temika grew visibly uncertain. As the ten seconds ticked down, all she could utter was 'life?' and 'tragic?' while trying to piece together the words one at a time. When the buzzer sounded, the correct answer was revealed to be "Works like magic." Sajak, stunned, chuckled and told her, "You fooled me! Apparently, you smile all the time! You fooled me with that one!" Even though Temika missed out on the $40,000 prize, Sajak reminded her with warmth, "It was still a big, big night." Temika may have missed the bonus, but she walked away with nearly $45,000.
In another 'Wheel of Fortune' episode, host Sajak comforted a tearful contestant after a surprise comeback during the show's College Week Spring Break special. A college student from Honolulu, Hawaii, Malia broke down in tears after winning $25,850, despite earlier struggles in the game, per The Mirror US. Initially trailing behind, Malia stunned both viewers and herself when she solved a major puzzle and snatched victory in the final moments. Although she missed out on an additional $40,000, her total winnings moved her to tears. Sajak warmly acknowledged her comeback, saying, "You know, it's a funny little game. Ben had this big lead by a big number, but what you did is you ended up winning the match with $25,850!"
Seeing her emotional reaction, Sajak gently offered her his shoulder, giving the moment a heartfelt close. Malia was seemingly overwhelmed with emotion and covered her face, exclaiming, “I’m going to cry!” Sajak then gently led her back to her seat and tried to lighten the mood, saying, "I know, here, step up here and cry. I don’t have a Kleenex or anything, so just use your sweater, and I'll be right back." Returning moments later with a comforting arm around her shoulders, Sajak added warmly, "Don't cry! Before you cry, pick a category, and then you can just bawl your eyes out." Though Malia's heartfelt win brought joy and support from viewers, she struggled in the Bonus Round and failed to solve the final puzzle, missing out on an additional $40,000 in potential winnings.