Host of “Wheel of Fortune” Pat Sajak has taken to Twitter to defend the show’s contestants after a video went viral of them not being able to solve what some people find is a simple puzzle.
During the episode that aired on Tuesday (March 1) there was a word puzzle the contestants were trying to solve: “Another feather in your cap,” however, they were having a bit of trouble with it.
The contestants had solved the puzzle all the way up to “Another feather -n yo-r -a-,” but there was just a few more gaps to fill, and the first contestant guessed “Another feather in your hat,” which was incorrect.
The next contestant guessed the letter, “G,” which was also wrong, so the third contestant spun the wheel and landed on “bankrupt.” The first contestant tried to solve it again, saying, “Another feather in your lap,” however, that was also incorrect.
Again, the second contestant asked for another letter, “D,” and that was wrong. The third contestant got skipped again by landing on the “lose a turn” space. Then the first contestant spun the wheel again and this time asked for a “P.”
She tried to solve the puzzle by saying “Another feather in your map,” and was incorrect. The second contestant went next but didn’t have any luck and landed on “bankrupt,” while the third contestant went on to spin and finally solved the puzzle correctly.
The video of the contestants went viral and they were roasted so badly by commenters on social media that Pat felt like he had to make a public statement to defend them.
It always pains me when nice people come on our show to play a game and win some money and maybe fulfill a lifelong dream, and are then subject to online ridicule when they make a mistake or something goes awry.
— Pat Sajak (@PatOnWheel) March 2, 2022
Pat Sajak’s Full Statement Of Tweets Below
“It always pains me when nice people come on our show to play a game and win some money and maybe fulfill a lifelong dream, and are then subject to online ridicule when they make a mistake or something goes awry.”
“Last night’s “Feather in your cap” puzzle was a case in point. Sitting at home, it seems incredible that they couldn’t solve it, but I knew in real time what was happening.”
“The first attempted solve was “Feather in your hat” which, by the way, is how a lot of people say it. So all three players thought it was a good solve, and were stunned when I said it was wrong.”
“Now imagine you’re on national TV, and you’re suddenly thrown a curve and you begin getting worried about looking stupid, and if the feather isn’t in your hat, where the heck can it be? You start flailing away looking for alternatives rather than synonyms for “hat.”
“And, of course, when it’s solved, you want to crawl in a hole. I’ve been praised online for “keeping it together” and not making fun of the players. Truth is, all I want to do is help to get them through it and convince them that those things happen even to very bright people.”
“But mocking them online and calling them names? These are good people in a bad situation under a kind of stress that you can’t begin to appreciate from the comfort of your couch.”
“Good-natured laughter is one thing. Heck, they laughed at themselves. But, hey, cut them some slack. Unless you’re there, you have no idea how different it is in the studio.”
“I have fun with players and I tease them occasionally, but when things go wrong, I feel for them, and I try to salve the wounds on camera and off. So, yeah, it was an oddly entertaining puzzle and it’s okay to laugh at the situation. But have a little heart.”
“After all, you may be there one day. And no one wants to be trending on Twitter.”