Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Wheel of Fortune contestant goes viral with hilarious NSFW on-air blunder

‘All time “Wheel of Fortune” moment,’ one viewer tweeted

Inga Parkel
New York
Friday 24 May 2024 12:14 EDT
Comments
Hilarious accidental X-rated 'Wheel of Fortune' answer

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Wheel of Fortune contestant Tavaris Williams has gone viral after he incorrectly shouted out a very inappropriate guess to a puzzle.

It was only a few minutes into the Thursday (24 May) episode when Williams, who was up against against two other competitors, made the unfortunate slip-up.

As letters to the puzzle began to quickly appear on the board, the contestants were tasked with deciphering the phrase using only a few characters.

Williams proved to be overhasty when he rang in and promptly guessed: “Right in the butt.”

“What?” asked one of his fellow contestants in disbelief, followed by longtime host Pat Sajak, who responded: “No.”

Tavaris stood there with an “oops” expression on his face while the audience roared with laughter. Sajak swiftly moved on to call on contestant Blake, who correctly answered: “This is the best.”

“Yeah, that’s it!” Sajak praised.

Later in the episode, when it came time for Sajak to introduce the contestants, he turned to Tavaris, saying: “Well, Tavaris, you’ve already made an impression on us.”

“I apologize, Pat. I was a little excited,” Tavaris replied.

“We’ll figure out a way to handle that tastefully,” Sajak said, prompting more laughter from the audience. He went on to joke: “I have no idea what that’ll be, but...”

The clip of the moment has since made the rounds on X, formerly Twitter, with several viewers labeling the interaction as “a Wheel of Fortune Hall of Fame” moment.

“All time #WheelOfFortune moment right here,” one person wrote. A second declared: “This could have been on South Park.

“Missed the mark,” another person said, adding a laughing emoji alongside a broken heart. The official X account for American dictionary Merriam-Webster tweeted: “Yes, we saw the Wheel of Fortune clip you can stop sending it to us.”

Others noted that his NSFW guess would not have fit the letter boxes anyhow. “Not even the correct number of letters,” one noted.

“Must be this kinda Rite,” someone suggested, alongside a gif of the drugstore chain Rite Aid.

Wheel of Fortune has aired in the US since 1975. Originally hosted by Chuck Woolery, the show is now presented by Sajak took over hosting duties in 1981 and has presided over the popular game show ever since.

Last June, Sajak, 77, announced that he would be retiring from his long-time position after 40 years. “I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last,” he said at the time.

His final episode airs on 7 June. He will, however, serve as a consultant for three years beyond his retirement, according to Deadline.

Former American Idol presenter Ryan Seacrest will be taking over from Sajak, with his first season premiering this fall.

Wheel of Fortune airs weekdays on ABC at 7:30pm.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in