There are never any guarantees on live TV, and with a fast-paced show likeWheel of Fortune, you never know what the next moment might hold. But at the same time, theformat of the show has a lot of room for mistakesand awkward moments, especially with the pressure of performing in front of a live audience. Even aseasoned host likePat Sajakhad his fair share of slip-ups, where hedidn’t realize the weight of his wordsuntil they had landed and created uncomfortable situations.
When a Joke Went Too Far on ‘Wheel of Fortune’
During a March 2023episode ofWheel of Fortune,Sajak was the victim of a joke gone completely wrong. As he usually does, Sajak was interacting with the contestants whenAshley Laumbfrom Tacoma told him about her fear of fish. Now, this might sound like a fun little quirk,maybe even an attempt at coming off as funnyfrom Laumb. But it turns out that she had a full-blown phobia of sea-creatures and could barely talk about them without getting the creeps. When the host asked her where this fear stemmed from, she clearly stated thatshe didn’t want to get to itand this should have been Sajak’s cue to end the conversation once and for all.
Unfortunately, the host didn’t take the whole thing seriously and, in an attempt to lighten the mood, hepulled out a fake fish from his pocket a few rounds later. While the host genuinely did it to get a few laughs out of everyone, the whole thing went terribly wrong when Laumb physically cringed and looked away. That’s when Sajak realized thathe might have crossed a boundary.The gag clearly didn’t land as expected, and while Sajak and the rest of the crowd laughed, you could see theabsolute horror and humiliationon Laumb’s face.
A Quick Apology and a $63,000 ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Win
Thankfully, the host instantlypicked up on Laumb’s genuine horror and recognized his mistake. While he could have just brushed the situation off and moved on to spare everyone the awkwardness, Sajak made it a point to go up to Laumb, without the fish, and make a sincere apology. Of course,things remained a little tensesince she was visibly flustered and could barely give the host a response. But kudos to Sajak for owning up to his mistake and trying to make amends on the spot. And the fact that Laumb had just won a $7,500 prize definitely did soften the blow. Not to mention that she actually ended the night as the biggest winner andwalked away with $63,000,but this moment was still uncomfortable.
How Reality TV Forces Contestants To Perform for the Camera
The incident is just one example of why there needs to be a larger conversation about the pressure contestants might feel to perform and appear likable onreality TV. One thing to remember is that these contestants aren’t used to being in front of the camera. For most, it’s their first time on a public platform, being watched by hundreds of people. So, it’s up to the host and the producers of the show toensure that they feel comfortable and respected.There’s no denial that reality shows essentially thrive onhumor and harmless jokesat the contestants’ expense, but where is the line between that and evident humiliation? It was almost as ifthere was a default expectation for Laumb to laugh alongwith the joke, with no concern about how it would actually make her feel.
Pat Sajak Was Holding More Than Just the Mic That Day
There’s also a power dynamic at play between the host and contestant of anyTV game show. Sajak is a huge name in the entertainment industry, and with his years of experience, he was the face ofWheel of Fortuneduring his almostfour-decade-long reign.This makes him anauthoritative, almost untouchable figurein the eyes of the viewers. The host was known for his fun, playful banter with the contestants and the freedom to joke around with them.
While all of this might seem harmless to viewers, it puts contestants in a tricky situation.Laumb had practically no room to verbalize how she feltwithout disrupting the flow of the joke. It’s not as though Sajak didn’t have the best intentions, but his immediate next words to her after the joke were, “You’ll forgive me for that, won’t you?” which definitelydownplayed the situationto keep things from escalating on camera. Laumb was then left with no choice but to move past it so the show’s flow wouldn’t be disrupted.
Wheel of FortuneSeason 42is currently airing onABC.
Wheel of Fortune
