Wheel of Fortune viewers might be onto something, speculating that host Pat Sajak is ready to retire early.
That’s because Pat has been extra outspoken in recent months, especially when it comes to contestants missing the mark on seemingly easy-peasy puzzles.
During a recent episode of Wheel of Fortune, a contestant named Tina Meier-Nowell couldn’t solve a bonus round, and Pat seemed a little bit irked by her insufficiency.
Tina, of Portland, Oregon, opted for the letters D, P, M, and O to supplement the usual R, S, T, L, N, and E provided to contestants.
Tina’s choice of letters resulted in a board that read, “M _ _ OR _ L _ _ _ RD.”
The 10-second timer began as Pat encouraged Tina to try to “work that out” before running out of time and wished her good luck.
Tina was confident she had solved the puzzle when she instantly blurted out, “Minor Blizzard,” but her guess was incorrect.
Pat Sajak appears frustrated at another Wheel of Fortune contestant’s incorrect puzzle guess
Tina became caught up on the word “minor.” Soon enough, her time ran out, and she lost the round.
“You gotta think bigger!” Pat told Tina as the buzzer sounded. “Think bigger!”
Soon enough, tile-turner Vanna White revealed the puzzle answer: “Major Blizzard.”
Pat laughed along with Tina once she realized she was guessing the opposite word and revealed that her incorrect guess cost her $40,000.
“Exactly the right idea, you just had the wrong… the wrong key,” Pat told Tina.
After all was said and done, Tina walked away with $31,310. Pat called it “nothing to hang her head about.”
Wheel of Fortune viewers react to Tina’s segment
Following the episode, Wheel of Fortune shared the clip on YouTube, where viewers, as they do, expressed their dismay that Tina was unable to solve the puzzle.
“As soon as she said MINOR BLIZZARD that’s when I figured out that it’s the opposite, MAJOR BLIZZARD,” wrote one viewer.
Another Wheel of Fortune fan pointed out that it’s “not easy” to solve the puzzle in 10 seconds.
One of Tina’s naysayers claimed they knew the answer to the puzzle and called her out: “Really, Tina?!”
Giving more unsolicited advice, another YouTube user felt the letter A should have helped Tina realize the first word was “Major.”
Yet another armchair Wheel of Fortune expert wrote, “That bonus round miss was so bad it made me bang the table! (Sorry, table!).”