Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak’s pop-culture knowledge definitely has the internet talking.
During the latest episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress Tatyana Ali, The Sixth Sense actor Haley Joel Osment and Australian restaurateur Curtis Stone competed on behalf of their chosen charities. At the game show’s halfway point, Tatyana was in the lead, and she took a chance at solving a $5,000 mashup puzzle in the category “Before & After.” Even with several letters still missing from the board, she solved the puzzle correctly “Eggs Benedict Cumberbatch.” But Pat didn’t immediately congratulate her on the big win and instead asked Tatyana for an explanation.
“We know eggs benedict. Explain Benedict Cumberbatch for those who [don’t know],” he said. As Tatyana explained that Benedict Cumberbatch is a famous British actor, she started second-guessing herself because she thought it was self-explanatory. That’s when Pat revealed what was really going on.
“I put the onus on her because I didn’t have the answer,” Pat said. “So I pretended like I was just saying, ‘Tell us. I, of course, know it, but you tell us.’ And that was a little host trick, if you want to know….My apologies, Mr. Cumberbatch. But I spend a lot of time in my basement. I have no idea what’s going on.”
After admitting to not knowing who the Oscars-nominated actor is, some folks took to Twitter to voice their disappointment. “You should apologize. Benedict is an amazing actor and has never given a bad performance. Shame on you Pat,” one person wrote. “How does Pat not know who Benedict Cumberbatch is?” another added. “Pat Sajak doesn’t know who Benedict Cumberbatch is? That’s just (Dr.) Strange,” a different fan said, referencing his Marvel Universe role.
Still, others sided with Pat, admitting that they also didn’t recognize the actor’s name. “I’m with @patsajak I had NO CLUE who Cumberbatch was! Keep being you Sajak! Who cares that you and I didn’t know. The world is still spinning. Hahaha!” a follower commented. “I don’t know who he is either. Until I looked him up on the internet. Now I learned something & got a good laugh and need to come out of my cave every once in a while,” added a viewer.
For those still wondering, Benedict is best known for portraying detective Sherlock Holmes in the BBC TV mystery drama Sherlock, inspired by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short stories. Throughout his two-decade career, Benedict has earned recognition for his work in the theater and onscreen, including Hawking, Parade’s End, Patrick’s Melrose and The Imitation Game.
