Wheel of Fortune fans in uproar as ‘cruel’ host rubs player’s $100,000 loss in her face

Wheel of Fortune fans were left in uproar when ‘cruel’ host Pat Sajak appeared to rub a player’s loss in her face.

This week, contestant Shalocmont missed out on her ultimate bonus prize of $100,000, after emerging in the bonus round with a prize of $25,750. But the final word puzzle in the ‘phrase’ category saw her miss out.

Shalocmont was left with the letters _T’S _E__ND ME – and she guessed: “It’s been me, it’s pulling me, it’s winding me.” Ironically, the answer turned out to be: “It’s beyond me”, as the answer was beyond Shalocmont. Pat, 77, then glanced at the prize card, showing what could have been won.

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He then told the player: “You know the important thing…” as she anxiously moaned: “No!” He then urged: “Yeah, you wanna show ‘em?” Shalocmont proceeded to open the dreaded envelope before handing it off to Pat, who grumbled: “I wanted you to at least hold it.”

Boos resulted from the audience as Pat addressed them: “Before you, ‘Oh’ too much, she won $25,750!” Fans online weren’t too impressed either, with one social media user writing on X: “Felt like Pat was being cruel on yesterday’s Wheel of Fortune when he made that gal hold her own lost prize!”

It comes after fans were outraged as they claimed one player was “robbed” of her winnings “despite giving the right answer”. California contestant Megan was given ‘P_N_’ ‘_RC__D’ to work with in the ‘living thing’ category.

With only a few seconds left to guess the answer, Megan started blurting things out, before giving her final guess of “pink orchid”, that sounded like “something orchid”. The timer went off revealing the answer to be pink orchid – which left fans fuming.

Many claimed they’d heard her say the right answer, with one arguing: “Play it back Pat… she said Pink Orchid… you owe her $40,000.00 now make good on it. I played it back a dozen times and she said Pink Orchid clear as a bell. You guys should give her an extra $40,000.00 for being inept.”

But Megan spoke out shortly after the moment went viral, explaining: “You know, I wish I said pink because I would have been $40,000 richer — but I said ‘something’. It’s funny because going onto the show, I was so excited to be a part of it, and I was so bummed that I lost to the bonus round.

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“Even just watching it back and thinking ‘okay just have to get through it, watch it once,’ [but] then I wake up yesterday and it’s all over headlines, everybody’s talking about the bonus round and I’m reliving this loss.”

She confessed that nobody “made fun of her” for the blunder – though her eight-year-old son wouldn’t let her live it down. Megan added: “That word has already been haunting me and now all of America believes that I said it but I didn’t.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk