Pat Sajak's Awkward Question To Vanna White Sparks Chatter
Pat Sajak and Vanna White both started on "Wheel of Fortune" in the early '80s and became icons on the game show together. The social atmosphere was much different when the duo originally began working on "Wheel," as Sajak once admitted that he and White used to sneak out for cocktails during breaks in filming. "So Vanna and I would go across and have two or three or six [drinks] and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet," the famed host said on ESPN's "Highly Questionable" in 2012.
Although Sajak gave up drinking on the show long ago, he still occasionally lets a comment slip that rubbed viewers the wrong way. In 2021, Sajak came under fire for seemingly mocking a contestant's lisp by responding, "I thee," instead of "I see," per Pop Culture. That drew the ire of several viewers. "Thanks for making fun of people with a lisp on tonight's show you arrogant overpaid jerk – Pat Sajak," one tweeted at the time. "#PatSajakSucks How snide are you if you make fun of someone with a lisp," another disgruntled viewer wrote.
The "Wheel" host came under scrutiny again in March when a contestant told a story about having their toe reattached, and Sajak referred to the story as "pointless," per the New York Post. One fan called the long-time TV personality "cold-blooded" on Twitter. A month later, Sajak was in hot water once again, but this time it was for an interaction with his co-host.
Pat Sajak's seemingly inappropriate question to Vanna White
At the end of a "Wheel of Fortune" episode that saw an opera singer go home as the winner on April 13, Pat Sajak and Vanna White made their usual small talk to close out the show. "Are you an opera buff at all?" Sajak asked his co-host (via Yahoo! Entertainment). "Yes. I'm not a buff, but I like opera," White responded. It was Sajak's next question that had fans raising their eyebrows. "Have you ever watched opera in the buff?" the host asked. "I'm just curious," he added as the show ended.
Multiple fans rushed to social media to voice how they thought Sajak's comment about White potentially watching opera nude was offensive. "I feel like I just witnessed a #metoo moment on @WheelofFortune?" one viewer wrote. A few believed the remark was an indication that the host's time on the show should come to an end. "@SPTV Please consider replacing some staff at #WheelOfFortune after Pat Sajak's gaff," a Twitter user requested. "Is Pat Sajak reverting back to cocktails during filming?" another half-jokingly asked. Meanwhile, another contingent of "Wheel" fans took exception with the offended viewers. "Think after all these years now of all times Vana [sic] would be offended by silly word play," a fan wrote defending Sajak.
The relationship between Sajak and White has indeed endured the test of time. In 2021, White revealed on "The Drew Barrymore Show" that the only time the two had argued was over whether or not ketchup belonged on a hot dog.