Legendary Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak could often seem a little curmudgeonly with contestants on the show, but according to former players, he was an absolute sweetheart when the cameras stopped rolling.
The topic came up on the Wheel of Fortune Reddit forum over the weekend when a user asked, “Former contestants, what was Pat Sajak like off-camera?” Several past players responded to the thread, with many praising Sajak’s kindness and professionalism.
“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,” said one former contestant. “He also made jokes between front-game rounds and was enjoyable.”
“Kind, professional, extremely good at his job,” added another. “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.”
Another added, “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.’”
Sajak was never afraid to speak his mind, even when it came to reprimanding contestants. In a memorable moment during a December 2020 episode, he sternly told one player, “Never interrupt me,” after she spoke over his Dick’s Goods sponsor. “Never, never interrupt a plug. You can do anything else but don’t interrupt,” he added before laughing it off.
In a March 2022 episode, the iconic host mocked one contestant’s anecdote about having his toe reattached after a bike accident. “That may have been the most pointless story ever told,” Sajak quipped.
Sajak’s on-air persona also didn’t have much sympathy when it came to contestants’ blunders. In a December 2023 holiday episode, a player failed at solving the Bonus Round puzzle (“Voicing Our Opinion”) and asked Sajak, “What kind of puzzle is that?”
“It’s a puzzle you didn’t solve,” Sajak snapped back, adding, “It’s getting testy here on Christmas.”
Still, contestants who have witnessed Sajak up close continue to speak highly of the experience.
“Very good at his job of hosting, kept things moving, a steady hand who kept things going very smoothly,” said another Reddit user. “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.”
The same commenter added, “Vanna (White) was the sweetest and most personable person on the set, but Pat was fantastic and the consummate professional.”
“I’ve talked with a gay man who was a contestant and had his partner there with him. I knew about Pat’s reputation for being conservative and asked how it went. He said Pat was very nice and didn’t treat them badly at all,” wrote another.
“Both [Pat] 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,” one commenter added.
“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,” said another fan.
Sajak retired from Wheel last June after hosting 41 seasons. American Idol‘s Ryan Seacrest stepped into the role in September 2024, with White remaining on as his co-host.
