Fans Are Fuming Over Wheel Of Fortune's Pat Sajak Snub
"Wheel of Fortune" is not having a good press week. The iconic game show has been in the headlines as of late after contestant Charlene Rubush's game-winning segment went viral on social media days before Christmas. While answering the phrase in the Bonus Round, Rubush took too long in between words and was denied getting a brand-new Audi Q3 by host Pat Sajak — even though she correctly solved the puzzle, per CBS News. Viewers lambasted the show on Twitter for having "hidden rules" and implored producers to award Rubush the car. The outcry seemed to work in Rubush's favor as she was eventually gifted the car by Audi, per Us Weekly.
Now, not even after a week since the controversy, "Wheel of Fortune" has once again found itself in hot water for forgetting a momentous occasion involving Sajak — and fans took to Twitter to express their anger and confusion over the matter. Here's what they had to say.
Wheel of Fortune forgot Pat Sajak's anniversary
December 28 marked a big day for Pat Sajak on "Wheel of Fortune": It was the 40th anniversary of Sajak becoming host of the iconic game show. Sajak had celebrated the milestone on Christmas Eve, tweeting, "What a week! Dec 25 ... Christmas Day. Dec 28 ... 40th anniversary of my first 'Wheel' on NBC daytime. Dec 31 ... 32nd wedding anniversary. Jan 1 ... 2022 begins. And it almost has to be better than 2021, doesn't it? Well, doesn't it?"
In a separate tweet, Sajak recalled his longevity on the show. "When I started hosting 'Wheel' (with Susan Stafford) on this date 40 years ago, the top 10 TV shows included 'Dallas,' 'Three's Company,' 'The Jeffersons' and 'The Dukes of Hazzard.' Ronald Reagan was in his 1st year as president. Number 1 song: Olivia Newton-John's 'Physical.'"
Sajak was flooded with congratulations on social media, but the show which made him a household name stayed silent and did not make any mention of his anniversary on the day of when a new episode was broadcast, causing fans to complain on Twitter.
"WOW! Not one mention of Pat Sajak's 40 year anniversary on last night's Wheel of Fortune??? This is unacceptable," one fan wrote. Another users wondered if the show would do it on their socials, asking, "I'm curious if Wheel is going to post anything about it?" As of this writing, the show's official Twitter account still has not tweeted anything about Sajak's anniversary.