5 Memorable Pat Sajak ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Moments

Dessi Gomez
·3-min read

After 41 seasons as the host of Wheel of Fortune, longtime host Pat Sajak retired from the gig Friday June 7. He made the announcement that Season 41 would be his last in the summer of 2023, and Ryan Seacrest is set to take over.

Alongside Vanna White, who will remain on the show to flip letters in the puzzles, Sajak has become known in his time shepherding the show for his reactions to guesses and specific contestants.

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Here are five memorable moments that occurred as Sajak’s retirement approached, all notable for different reasons.

Unnoticed Bonus Round Puzzle Giveaway

In April 2021, Sajak let sip the answer to a bonus round puzzle in his comment about the status of the hints. The contestant, Jeffrey, didn’t even notice, and he didn’t guess the phrase right either. Jeffrey had _ _ _ te _ran_l_ to guess after he had guessed his allotted 4 letters. The answer was “quite frankly, which Sajak said when he remarked, “I’d rather be standing here than there, quite frankly.”

Vanna caught the slip up and later asked Sajak if he realized what he had done when he made the comment. See his answer above.

Opening a Prize Envelope Early

Sajak remained cool as a cucumber in early 2021 when he accidentally opened the bonus round envelope dictating the prize money ahead of the contestant starting to guess the phrase. He didn’t give it away, though, because he caught himself.

“Oh, I already looked at it!” he said. “I’m not sure why I did that. But I know what she’s playing for and you don’t!”

Jared Leto on April Fool’s Day

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The onetime Joker actor appeared in Sajak’s place for one episode as an April Fool’s joke, walking out with Vanna White on his arm and kicking off the show as host. The show later confirmed that the swap was in the spirit of April Fool’s.

30 Seconds to Mars World Tour!

Another goofy moment involving Leto and his brother Shannon Leto on Wheel of Fortune involved a promotion for their band 30 Seconds to Mars’ world tour. Both Leto brothers guessed Z and hit the wheel-spinning cues before Sajak could ask them the introductory questions fully, and third competitor Mary guessed the puzzle all in one go.

Leto tweeted the memory after Sajak’s retirement, thanking him for the moment and congratulating the host’s tenure.

NSFW Guess

Most recently, one contestant went slightly off the rails in an attempt to guess an early toss-up puzzle. With the layout of “_ _ _ _ I_ _ _e _ _ _ _!”, contestant Tavaris buzzed in to swiftly guess “Right in the butt! Sajak let the guess down easy with a gentle “No” while Tavaris’ eyes immediately widened as he realized the implications of what he’d said. One of his opponents later guessed “This is the best!” once the hint had expanded to _ _ _s I_ T_e B_st!

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