“Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak disturbed several viewers on Monday when he apparently mocked a competitor with a speech problem.
The longtime game show host was trying to keep things light during Monday’s show while introducing contestants. While doing this, Sajak spoke to competitor Chris Brimble. After explaining to the host what he does for a living, it became clear to viewers and the host that Brimble speaks with a slight lisp.
Sajak listened and even commented on the importance of his work, bringing technology to the elderly. However, the host concluded the brief interview by saying “I love you” instead of “I understand”.
While Brimble simply laughed at the moment, viewers who were upset by Sajak’s apparent mockery about the competitor’s speech impediment accessed Twitter to express their indignation.
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“@Patsajak just made fun of one of the contestants ??” a user wrote.
“@patsajak Hey d —- bag, say a cheap shot mocking a competitor with a lisp. I teach speech therapy. You are in the air for a long time. It’s time to retire. Your sarcasm is offensive and just funny for idiots like you, ” added a particularly annoyed viewer.
“I hope you have learned from your mistake and stop making fun of those who have their tongue stuck. Like a woman who has lived her whole life with one (and my parents put me in speech lessons when I was going to school when I was child), I think it’s terrible that you do this kind of crap, ” a third user wrote.
“As someone your age, who grew up with hearing-impaired cousins, I was taught that we NEVER make fun of their speech pattern. To this day I wouldn’t even think of doing what you did, so don’t follow your example. You were 100% wrong. Get it and DO BETTER! ” another user added.
‘Wheel of Fortune’ host Pat Sajak received a negative reaction for mocking a competitor with speech problems.
(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
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“@patsajak There is a clear reason why Trebek has always been a better host than you”, another enraged viewer wrote.
“@patsajak, you must be a supporter of Trumpster making fun of people with speech problems. In my mind, you are a tiny bit of nothing! It’s time for the producers to get rid of this overpaid idiot and get someone decent to present the show ! You stink of sajak !! ” wrote another.
Sajak officials did not immediately respond to Fox News’s request for comment.
According to Yahoo Entertainment, Brimble’s game did not appear to be harmed in the slightest by the host’s coup. He continued to win $ 12,250 in cash prizes, but barely made it through the bonus puzzle and won the win.
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At the end of the show, Sajak mentioned a moment in his interview with the competitor that had nothing to do with the offensive joke. Brimble questioned how long someone needs to be married before they are no longer considered a “newlywed”?
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“You know I’ve been married for 31 years and I still feel like a newlywed,” Sajak told co-host Vana White at the end of the show, receiving applause from the crowd. “It will be a great night at the Sajak house.”