He’s giving himself a Pat on the again for this one.
Throughout Tuesday evening’s episode of “Wheel of Fortune,” host Pat Sajak had a little bit of an ungainly second with a contestant after he tugged on his facial hair — one thing he mentioned he’ll “by no means do once more.”
Contestant Greg Weichert, from Florida, sported an enormous, bushy grey beard as he revealed that he’s been “serving to out” Santa Claus for 25 years. He has an enormous, blended household of six youngsters, 14 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
“I began an actual beard about six years in the past, it made all of the distinction on this planet,” Weichert defined.
Sajak then requested him if the children nonetheless pulled on Santa’s beard, which Weichert confirmed, sharing that he has advised children to tug on his beard earlier than in order that he can show himself because the “actual” Santa Claus.
“If I come over there, can I tug on it?” Sajak requested, earlier than continuing to do exactly that. He gave the person’s beard a agency pull after which backed away.
“I’ve by no means accomplished that, and I’ll by no means do it once more,” the host joked afterward. Later within the episode, he apologized to the contestant, showing to look “choked up,” in keeping with The Solar.
“Thanks all for being right here, and I apologize once more, Santa,” he mentioned.
The Submit reached out to Sajak’s rep for remark.
After the on-air second, some customers took to Twitter to specific how “cringey” they thought the interplay was.
“#PatSajak pulling on that dude’s beard was tremendous cringy #WheelofFortune,” one Twitter consumer wrote on Tuesday evening.
Another person blasted, “@WheelofFortune why is host hara**ing contestant Greg of his physique hair? No person grabbing pat’s pretend wig? How impolite! And identify calling?? What’s fallacious with #patsajak ??!!”
Another viewer criticized them for his or her Santa Claus speak, writing, “If @WheelofFortune & @patsajak might be slightly extra aware of the youthful viewers they’ve when somebody who performs Santa is on as a contestant, that might be tremendous useful… Actually onerous to maintain the magic when somebody named Howard talks about being a Santa Claus.”
Nevertheless, some discovered the clip to be fairly humorous after it was posted on the official “Wheel of Fortune” Instagram account.
“Y’all so humorous. Love this present!” a fan commented.
“I simply completely love his present,” one other seconded.
After all, this isn’t the primary time in latest months that Sajak, who has hosted “Wheel of Fortune” since 1981, had an embarra**ing interplay with a contestant. Simply final week, he snapped at participant Mary Ann Hotaling, a college administrator from Alabama, after she spun the a million greenback wedge, leaping towards it earlier than calling out a letter, which is towards the foundations of the sport.
“No, no, no, ba-ba-bo-bop!” Sajak exclaimed, as he let loose a tiny chuckle. “Now right here’s what you do, you see, you name a letter.”
In a January episode, he teased contestant Ben Tucker after he incorrectly guessed a phrase whereas enjoying on the sport present.
“Wow, that was so unclose. You simply didn’t have the letters,” Sajak mentioned to him after the blunder.
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