Pat Sajak screams ‘What kind of a father are you?’ after ‘Wheel of Fortune’ player drops unexpected detail

"Your son is upset about something," said Pat Sajak to a contestant on 'Wheel of Fortune'
PUBLISHED JUL 20, 2025
Pat Sajak in a screenshot from 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Pat Sajak in a screenshot from 'Wheel of Fortune' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

Pat Sajak needs no introduction. The legendary host bid adieu to 'Wheel of Fortune' after 41 seasons' glorious run. For most of the game show, Sajak was celebrated as a kind and supportive host, but there have been moments when he raised eyebrows with his awkward jokes. In one such situation, a father was left perplexed when Sajak discussed the absence of his son on the show, making for an awkward 'Wheel of Fortune' exchange.

Pat Sajak attends a taping of the Wheel of Fortune's 35th Anniversary Season in Orlando, Florida. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Gerardo Mora)
Pat Sajak attends a taping of the Wheel of Fortune's 35th Anniversary Season in Orlando, Florida (Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Gerardo Mora)

In a memorable 'Wheel of Fortune moment,' Sajak began the episode by chatting with contestant Matt from Eatonton, Georgia. Matt shared that he's been married to his "resilient" wife for 21 years and has a "fun-loving" tween son named Lee. Sajak lightened the mood at first by reading from his cue cards, calling Matt a "biscuit guy.” Matt confirmed the rumor, joking that he's trying to "keep this boyish figure" while searching across the nation for the "best biscuit recipe," per The US Sun.

But the tone shifted when Sajak turned the conversation back to Matt's family and asked bluntly, "Your son is upset about something; what’s the deal?" Matt explained, "My son was not able to be here just with his school schedule," to which Pat quickly cut in with a dry remark, saying, "Wait, you sent him to school instead of bringing him here?" The unexpected comment left the room in awkward silence, momentarily stealing the energy from the lighthearted exchange.

Host Sajak jokingly shouted, "What kind of father are you, Matt!?" Matt cringed slightly and responded with a chuckle, "Right… it's a challenge." Sajak then softened the moment, saying, "Well, I admire that, and he'll come to admire it one day." Matt replied, "I hope so," clearly surprised that his son's absence became such a focal point. In a humorous twist, Matt's opponent, Lauren, advanced to the bonus round but failed to solve the puzzle, which was ironically, "Piping Hot Biscuits."

In another instance, Sajak had a humorous slip-up while introducing contestant Jason due to a mix-up with his cue cards. As he began the interview, Sajak mistakenly asked, "Married man?" which left Jason briefly confused before replying, "No, I'm single, actually," according to the New York Post. Realizing the mistake, Sajak laughed and admitted, "You know, I'm sorry. I just messed up a card; hold on." He then jokingly added, "So you're a circus acrobat, I see?" before correcting himself and properly introducing Jason as being from "Paris, Texas, as a single dad to two adopted boys."

Sajak then said, "Nice to have you, Jason. Forgive me, but it's been a New Year's weekend. You have to understand." The lighthearted moment added to a string of awkward incidents involving Sajak. Reportedly, just a week earlier, Sajak got noticeably irritated with another contestant, Jill, after she questioned the difficulty of a puzzle she failed to solve, losing $40,000. "What kind of puzzle is that?" Jill asked, to which Sajak sharply replied, "It's a puzzle you didn’t solve. It’s getting testy here on Christmas."

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