'Wheel of Fortune' Fans Slam Pat Sajak for Asking Vanna White 'Inappropriate' Question

Allison Schonter

04/18/2022 12:05 pm EDT

Pat Sajak is wading through controversy once again. The longtime Wheel of Fortune host sent fans into an uproar during Wednesday night's newest episode after he asked co-host Vanna White a question that many deemed inappropriate.

The incident occurred towards the end of the show amid the success of professional opera singer contestant Ashely Fabian, who won a grand total of $67,410. Before the end credits rolled on the night, Sajak and White got into a light discussion about Fabian's profession, with Sajak asking White, "Are you an opera buff at all?" White responded by telling Sajak, "Yes," before adding, "I'm not a buff, but I like opera," which led to what many saw as a cringey response from Sajak. The host asked, "Have you ever watched opera in the buff?" I'm just curious," leading White to proclaim, "No!"

The incident marked just the latest controversial moment for Sajak, who has faced a number of controversies over the past several months due to his actions on Wheel of Fortune. In February, the long-time host faced backlash after he mocked a contestant's speech impediment. Amid the controversies, some viewers have even called for Sajak to leave the show. Unsurprisingly, his moment with White sparked similar backlash.

'Wheel of Fortune After Dark'

"'Have you ever watched opera in the buff?' Pat Sajak to Vanna White," one person quoted the show. "When did this game show turn into Wheel of Fortune After Dark?"

Fans wonder 'if it's time for him to go'

"Put together all the weird things that he has said and done in the very recent past, on TV, and you really have to wonder if it's time for him to go," another person tweeted. "It wouldn't be any great loss. He's the worst."

Sajak has 'never had a filter'

"He's never had a filter," added somebody else. "He is no comedian either. He must have something on the producers of that show otherwise how could he have ever lasted anywhere near this long?"

Some believe the moment should have been edited out

"These are filmed three months in advance. They could edit this crap," noted another viewer in a since-deleted tweet. "Please Pat. Retire. You have lost your filter."

Sajak need to 'settle down'

"'Have you ever watched opera in the buff?'" another person quoted Sajak's comment. "SETTLE DOWN, PAT."

'Not very appropriate'

"Not very appropriate and cringe? Yes," one person acknowledged before adding, "Cancelable? No."

Viewers come to Sajak's defense

"The previous exchange used opera buff. The joke was watching opera in the buff. It's a joke you can ask anyone, of any sex, of any age, and that's the context it was used in," one person defended Sajak in a since-deleted tweet. "Just a harmless question between friends referencing the same words that were just used."

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