As the wheel of life turns, some days they love you, some days they don’t.
That’s true for “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak, who irked some fans when he gave a less-than-flattering reaction to one contestant’s story.
During a recent episode of the long-running game show, Sajak, 75, glanced down at his card about contestant Scott Ingwersen and noted that Ingwersen had told interviewers he once chopped off a big toe, according to the New York Post.
“Why am I mentioning this?” Sajak said. “It’s on your card. You had your big toe chopped off. Why are you telling this?”
Ingwersen, 47, told the tale of a childish mishap.
“It’s important to know that when I was 12 years old, I was riding a 10-speed bike with flip-flops, and I fell and completely cut off the top of my toe,” Ingwersen said.
“The next car that came by were two paramedics that were on their way to their job, and they said, ‘It’s just a laceration.’ But I didn’t know what that was, so it freaked me out even more. And my toe is reattached, and I just wanna say ‘thank you’ to them 30 years later,” he said.
The audience, as audiences do, applauded.
Sajak then ended that abruptly.
“That may have been the most pointless story ever told. And you told it, Scott. Congratulations to you,” he said.
Poor Scott just wanted to tell his story. Pat just throwing the shade ? #WheelOfFortune #patsajak pic.twitter.com/0wkEL2aRan
— AyeRaeRae43 (@AyeRae43) March 10, 2022
While some saw it as an attempt at humor, many others pounced on Sajak.
#WheelOfFortune Sometimes Pat says really mean things to contestants, but this was the worst. A man thanking paramedics for giving him his big toe back, an important toe for balance, is not a pointless story. It’s touching that he still feels gratitude for them and took the time.
— Nat (@NatalieCierzan) March 10, 2022
Pat Sajak telling someone their story was pointless is the exact reason I can’t watch Wheel of Fortune. The audacity to be so rude is baffling.
— Cheyenne Rose (@Chey_5683) March 10, 2022
I have been saying for years!! Pat Sajak doesn’t deserve to host Wheel of Fortune anymore. He’s such rude man. Epitomy of “going through the motions”
— Bronson Arroyo (@BronArroyo) March 10, 2022
So it’s not okay for viewers to laugh when contestants miss an obvious answer but it’s okay for the host (@patsajak) to not pay attention to a contestant, completely dismiss his story & call it pointless on national TV? @WheelofFortune needs a new host! https://t.co/zZI3zMVokp
— Taryn (@hollywoodgirl05) March 10, 2022
So @patsajak got on his @WheelofFortune high horse a week ago & lectured everyone to be nice to contestants who couldn’t solve an easy puzzle, but tonight he had no problem belittling and insulting a contestant who told their intro story. Scott needs an apology. #WheelOfFortune
— ABT20 (@GoBlueD1) March 10, 2022
Pat Sajak: hey, be nice people
Scott: thank you to the doctors who saved my toe
Pat: well thats pointless scott pic.twitter.com/loNt7gcZ2W
— larry (@gosteeIers) March 11, 2022
Sajak had shown a different side earlier this month when contestants struggled with a puzzle the folks at home knew was easy.
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“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,” he said then.
Sajak added, “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.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.