On its May 23 broadcast, “Wheel of Fortune” delivered fans a funny moment as longtime presenter Pat Sajak’s last show draws near. During a “Phrase” puzzle, contestant Tavaris Williams stunned everyone with his bold guess.
“Right in the butt!” was Williams’ guess as the letters appeared on the board. One contender exclaimed, “Whaaat?!” as the crowd and other competitors started laughing. Jimmy Kimmel became aware of this hilarious event as it swiftly went viral. Kimmel praised Williams on his “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show on May 29. “I don’t care what Pat Sajak says, that was a great answer,” Kimmel said.
Sajak was really helpful during the commercial break, Williams revealed. “The greatest was Pat! At the break, he made me feel really good about that,” Williams recalled.
Williams was unable to hide the amusing moment from his wife after the program was filmed in April. “I told my wife instantly after, ‘I will keep everything a secret except this — this you have to know about,’” stated the man. Prior to the program airing and the flood of social media responses, he had largely forgotten about it.
Williams was questioned if he frequently used the expression “right in the butt” by Kimmel in jest. “I have never used those words in sequential order a day in my life, Jimmy,” Williams said, maintaining a straight face. Williams, the winner of $9,500, remained upbeat despite the surprising prediction. “I am spreading a lot of smiles around the world,” he stated.
During the show, Sajak simply responded “no” to Williams’ guess and moved on to another contestant, Blake, who exclaimed, “This is the best!” Sajak laughed and added, “Yeah, that’s, that’s it. I think.” Williams approved Blake’s better answer with humor. As the game continued, Sajak introduced the contestants, noting, “Well, Tavaris, you’ve already made an impression on us.” Williams apologized, and Sajak reassured him, saying, “We’ll figure out a way to handle that tastefully,” as laughter continued.
The video was praised by social media users, who said it was worthy of being inducted into the “Wheel of Fortune Hall of Fame” A user posted, “I may be an 83-year-old man who watches Wheel of Fortune frequently, but moments like this are rare and make it all worth it.” Some said that it was the “greatest moment in Wheel of Fortune history” and that “Wheel of Fortune is a lot spicier than I remember.” According to a tweet from Merriam-Webster’s official X account, “Yes, we saw the Wheel of Fortune clip you can stop giving it to us.”
After hosting “Wheel of Fortune” since 1981, Pat Sajak is retiring this season, signaling the end of an era. In June 2023, the 77-year-old Emmy winner declared his retirement, saying, “Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which starts in September, will be my last.”
Ryan Seacrest will take over, with Vanna White extending her contract to stay on the show. Sajak’s final episode airs June 7, closing out an incredible 41-year career.
