It’s been more than a year since Pat Sajak’s said farewell to fans for his final Wheel of Fortune episode (not counting the Celebrity-infused spinoff), with Ryan Seacrest sliding in to take his place last fall. The latter has come a long way in less than a year, but it’s safe to assume there are some viewers who still haven’t quite grown accustomed to anyone other than Sajak heading up one of the best game shows of all time, and want him back.
While it’s certainly possible that the longtime WoF host could return in small doses down the line, it’s more likely that his interactions with contestants are a thing of the past. If that is indeed the case, one fan’s Reddit post could serve as a quasi-totem reminding others of what Pat Sajak was actually like on the set, as shared by some of the hopefuls who were there.
Though Sajak has earned some ire over the years for his off-screen politics, as well as his on-screen snarkiness in later years — remember when he called a contestant’s severed-toe anecdote the most pointless story ever? — I’m happy that the stories shared here represented the kind of Wheel of Fortune experience one would hope to have. Take this guy, who rival-bonded with Pat over a love of hockey.
- Pat was great with us on my taping day. He was cracking jokes during breaks with others. As for me personally, definitely had a fun time chatting hockey with me. We taped in 2016 and after round 1 he tells me, “I’m more of a Capitals fan but, can’t forgive the Sharks after what they did to my Kings in round 1.” I went sorry! 😂 When I won round 2, he was “is that (teal) shirt in honor of the Sharks? Yes of course.” As I’m headed to the bonus round he’s all “alright Mr. Teal, you did it… he’s going to the bonus round and I’ll go with him, even if he is a Sharks fan.”. . . As the credits rolled, we talked about how the Sharks lost to the penguins for a bit, then I turn to Vanna for a hug as you never get to meet a celebrity crush IRL, and as it ends Pat goes, “Will you two get a room??” 😂 He was fantastic and wish him well. - @puckguy14
Nobody could pull off a light-hearted ribbing like Par Sajak, even if some of that ribbing sounded a bit more curmudgeonly in later years. (He's 78 now.) I dare say his Chicago roots were showing when he called the player "Mr. Teal."
Meanwhile, another former contestant shared an interesting experience that TV viewers weren't fully privy to. The poster's comment started off saying immediately after declaring they wanted to solve the puzzle, they realized their initial guess wasn't going to be correct, which led to a moment of panic.
- I froze up and didn't say anything for like 5 seconds. Pat said "you can change your mind if you would like to spin." I did not realize that, exhaled, spun, and figured it out a letter or two later. This exchange was cut from the taping when it aired. Between puzzles I went up to him and said a very sincere "thank you" and he shook my hand and said it was no problem, that I was well within the rules to change my mind and spin. He said "if you had even said 'Buh...' and began saying the first syllable, you would have been forced to solve, but you didn't do that, you didn't make a sound. You were totally fine." Even if you know the rules well and read through them carefully before your taping (as I certainly did), you can definitely have a deer-in-headlights moment. Pat does great helping things along but not overstepping, a perfect host. - @Salzano14
Even though I'm sure I've seen a moment play out like that in the past, I don't know if I could say with confidence that I knew a contestant could change their mind after saying an intention to solve the puzzle. Definitely good to know, though. For what? I'm not sure.
Here's another compliment-filled reply that points out Pat's penchant for sharing good feedback with those who entered the game with skills intact.
- Pat was very nice. Before the bonus round, he said I was a really good player, that he was impressed with my gameplay, and he specifically called out one thing I did. Then, when we started filming the round, he said I was a really good player, that he was impressed with my gameplay, and he specifically called out one thing I did. Haha. But seriously, nice experience. He also made jokes between front-game rounds and was enjoyable. (You know, politics aside. We were there to play a game and make money!) - @micahwhite
Even if these personal stories don't represent the entirety of all past Wheel of Fortune players, it's just generally a great sign that they're all so positive, considering Reddit threads have a tendency to skew negative and hateful on a whim. This fan achieved the ultimate dream of having both Sajak and the late, great Alex Trebek as hosts.
- Kind, professional, extremely good at his job. He made a couple digs at me that were extremely lighthearted and fun, and I responded in kind, and we had a fun time with it. Both him and Vanna did the little fly-by "hey, just saying hi" in their street clothes in the early morning when everyone is taking their tour of the actual stage, which was really nice. Also had the privilege of appearing on Jeopardy! during Trebek's reign, and similarly, good times. Felt like a nice bucket list item to tick apparances with both of them as a contestant. - @disillusioned
Pat Sajak even got some love from a guy who wasn't ever a contestant, and just attended some of the tapings.
- I’m not a former contestant, but I did go to two separate tapings, about 10 years apart. At both, during commercials, he would interact with the audience and he was hilarious and friendly. - @BayouGuy25
Will Ryan Seacrest spark these kinds of kind reactions whenever players are reflecting after his own retirement? WIll Reddit still exist then? Will all our thoughts be logged by robots? Ahem.
Wheel of Fortune will soon be hitting its first big break on the 2025 TV schedule, as Ryan Seacrest's first official season comes to a close, also earning more positivity than negativity by way of online reactions, even if criticisms are definitely out there.
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