‘Wheel of Fortune’ fans slam Pat Sajak for crushing player’s confidence after brutal Bonus Round loss
'Wheel of Fortune' host Pat Sajak was known for his bluntness. In 2023, his sharp reaction to a contestant’s loss didn’t sit well with fans. Sajak made a blunt comment to contestant Jack during the Bonus Round after he failed to win $75,000. “Sorry that didn’t work out for you,” he rudely reacted. “You needed another letter or two to have any chance of winning,” Sajak added coldly while Jack looked visibly upset, as per The New York Post.
Jack had earned $71,700 before entering the Bonus Round, hoping to score even more with the final spin. However, his enthusiasm was watered down when the veteran host sounded too critical about the choice of letters on the puzzle board. The contestant chose the "What are you doing?" category to nail the grand prize round. The puzzle board then displayed the traditional letters “R, S, T, L, N, E,” and Jack went with “D, C, H, and I.”Unfortunately, none of his chosen letters revealed enough of the puzzle, which read: “_ _ R_IN_ _ _NDS.”
"Hmm. Well, what are you doing? is the category of 10 seconds, doing your best with it. Good luck," Sajak seemed positive at that moment. "Bonds...Bands...," Jack tried to guess the correct answer as the ten-second timer went off in a jiffy. "The first word out of your mouth was actually right. It was Bonds," the seasoned host teased as Jack failed. Vanna White then revealed the right answer as "Forming Bonds." "You didn't see that. You know what this is? This is just a number printed on a piece of cardboard," Sajak sounded sarcastic as he announced Jack had lost $75,000 during the round. "He actually has actual money. $71,700," the host added. Though Jack lost the Bonus Round, it was Sajak who faced backlash for his cold remarks.
Fans thought that instead of boosting the morale of the contestant, he had been instrumental in shaking Jack's confidence. Even though Jack didn't get the bonus round & $75,000, surprisingly, his total winnings was still better than the last 3 out of 4 contestants that won bonus rounds the other days, which is Amazon and won $71,700," a viewer pointed out. "It’s too bad that they can’t give you the money for getting half of the puzzle. Jack said 'bonds'," a fan critiqued. "Jack, BIG mistake picking WHAT ARE YOU DOING. That puzzle was very tough," a netizen complained. "Almost went up to a whopping $146,700, but somebody winning $71,000 in the front game was awesome!" an online user chimed in.
Sajak has often faced criticism for his insensitive behavior toward contestants. The host surprisingly retired after almost a four-decade-long career: "Well, the time has come. 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!)" he announced on X in his tongue-in-cheek style. 'American Idol' host Ryan Seacrest took over Sajak's role in 2024.