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Game shows this year there were big changes, especially with the departure of Pat Sajak from the post of “Wheel of Fortune” host after 40 years.
Ryan Seacrest has taken over for good, joining Ken Jennings as the new hosts of some of television’s longest-running shows, with contestants this year giving viewers wild moments ranging from risque to confusing.
Check out the craziest moments from the 2024 game show below, including the “Wheel of Fortune” player’s explanation for his unexpected response.
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A risky answer
Tavaris Williams immediately gave a viral response to “Wheel of Fortune,” buzzing to say “Right in the ass.” (ABC)
“Wheel of Fortune” contestant Tavaris Williams became an instant viral sensation thanks to its May 23 appearance and NSFW response.
During the throw puzzle, the puzzle board had the letters for the expression “_ _ _ _ /I _ /T _ E /B _ _ T!”
Williams gave a quick buzz and confidently said, “Right in the butt.”
His response was met with a brief silence, then laughter from the audience, followed by “What?” from fellow contestant Tyra, and a definite “no” from Sajak as a look of utter surprise crossed Williams’ face.
The correct answer was “THIS / IS / THE BEST!”
WATCH: ‘WHEEL OF LUCK’ CONTESTANT EXPLAINS HIS RISKY ANSWER
‘WHEEL OF LUCK’ CONTESTANT GOES VIRAL FOR X-RATED ANSWER: ‘HE WILL PLAY FOR ETERNITY’
“I tried to beat my competitors by buzzing first and letting my brain catch up with me,” Williams told Fox News Digital about his now infamous TV moment.
“And when my brain was ready to speak, I saw R, I saw B, I saw T. I chose ‘right in the ass’… And once [host Pat Sajak] said ‘no’, oh, that was the worst feeling,” he continued with a laugh.
After the recording, Williams had to keep the moment a secret from his family, who gathered to watch it live.
“My wife says, ‘Now I’m married to a meme,'” he said with a laugh, noting that his family is generally supportive.
Williams walked away with $9,500, but almost as soon as the moment was announced, fans took to social media to have a good laugh at the risque response.
WATCH: ‘WHEEL OF LUCK’ CONTESTANT HAD TO HIDE VIRAL MOMENT FROM FAMILY
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A history-making low score
“Danger!” contestant Erin Buker earned the second lowest score in the show’s history. (ABC/danger)
“Danger!” contestant earned an unfortunate place in the show’s history when she earned the show’s the second lowest score ever recorded.
Erin Buker, who walked away with a final score of -$7,200, told Fox News Digital that while she had a “pretty cool” time filming the episode, she would describe it as an “out-of-body experience.”
“You search, you see clues, but you don’t remember what category it is,” she explained. “You remind yourself not to, you know, make weird faces because you’re on live television. … The way they film it, it’s like it’s a live show. They really try to make it really tight.”
And while it didn’t go as well as she’d hoped, Buker said she’d “love to do it again.”
WATCH: ‘DANGER!’ CONTESTANT ERIN BUKER DESCRIBES WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BECOME A HISTORICALLY LOW RACE
‘JEOPARDY’ CONTESTANT WHO EARNED SECOND-LOWEST RATING IN GAME SHOW HISTORY SAYS: ‘A DAY TO FORGET’
Famous faces
“Danger!” it had not one but two contestants, which this year made the viewers doubly successful.
The first was David Erb, who bore an uncanny resemblance actor Clint Eastwood.
“David looks like several different people. Clint Eastwood is one of them,” “Jeopardy!” wrote a fan on Reddit.
Another shared on Xu, formerly of Twitter, “Is it just me or does David on #Jeopardy remind anyone else of a young Clint Eastwood??”
“Danger!” contestant David Erb resembled Clint Eastwood, according to fans. (Danger/ABC)
Another contestant who caught the eye of the viewers was Father Steve Jakubowski, a Catholic priest from Michigan who quickly gained a lot of fans online.
“There’s a hot priest on Jeopardy, send help,” one person wrote on X.
Father Steve Jakubowski told Fox News Digital that Ken Jennings and the rest of the “Jeopardy!” the crew was “very nice” to him. (ABC/Danger!)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Jakubowski said that on “Jeopardy!” was a “great experience”.
“Ken and all the producers and crew were very kind to me with the news that there was a Catholic priest on the show,” he explained. “I hope it left a positive impression on my community and the Church. The show airs at 3:30 where I live in Austin, so we had a viewing party at our parochial school with our students and their parents – tons of fun to share with our parish.”
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Another day at work
Ryan Seacrest replaced longtime host Pat Sajak after his retirement last year. (Ryan Seacrest Instagram)
Seacrest took over for Sajak as the host of “Wheel of Fortune” this year, and people were quick to blame him for the big loss of contestants.
During her second night as host, contestant Airica spun a million dollar peg during her move. The wedge could be traded for a $100,000 wedge in the bonus round, meaning that if she won the game, she could potentially win the big prize.
Airica solved the first puzzle and ran into a mysterious $1,000 peg and was given the choice to reveal it or leave it.
“It could be bankruptcy or it could be $10,000,” Seacrest explained, and after deciding to take the risk, Airica discovered the bankruptcy wedge and Seacrest had to return the million dollar wedge.
“Wheel of Fortune” fans were upset with Seacrest for missing out on a chance for a million dollar prize. (Getty Images/Wheel of Fortune/ABC)
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Fans online feel that Seacrest didn’t explain the rules well, comparing him negatively with Sajak.
“Pat would explain that if she took the risk she would have lost the million dollar bet,” a fan wrote on Xu.
Others defended Seacrest, noting that contestants are given an overview of the rules and gameplay beforehand, or were likely made aware of the rules in the cut-time portion.
‘WHEEL OF FORTUNE’ FANS CRITICIZE ‘ANNOYING’ GAME CHANGES
Sexist trail
During an episode of “Jeopardy!”, the “Complete the Rhyming Phrase” category quickly turned the game into an embarrassing situation. (Getty Images/Jeopardy!/ABC)
Jennings bore the brunt of the criticism for “sexist” clue during the series’ October episode.
During the episode, the “Complete the Rhyming Phrase” category contained a clue that read: “Men rarely pass in…”
Returning champion Will Wallace answered correctly: “Girls who wear glasses.”
Jennings recognized that this could have made contestant Heather Ryan uncomfortable because she wore glasses on the show.
The quiz “Jeopardy!” the phrase was from the famous poet Dorothy Parker. (Danger!/ABC/YouTube)
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“A bit troublesome, sorry Heather,” Jennings remarked, and Wallace added “very” in defense of his competitor.
The phrase in question was from acclaimed poet Dorothy Parker.
Game Show fans were quick to react to the tense situation on social media.
A viewer wrote on X: “She’s still angry about this. She used her intelligence to come here, only to be insulted by a sexist and rude comment.”
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Celebrity confusion
Some “Danger!” clues leave contestants completely confused, as has been the case with several pop culture clues this year.
In February, during the Final Jeopardy round of “Jeopardy!’s Champions Wildcard,” contestants were knocked out by a letter in Johnny Cash song title.
The key to the question was: “‘I kind of encouraged myself to play straight,'” Johnny Cash said of this 1956 hit, and the correct answer was “I Walk the Line.”
Unfortunately for all the competitors, one letter cost them all their points and time on the Champions Wildcard. All three contestants answered “Walk the Line”, omitting the letter “I”.
The contestants were struck down with the letter “I” in the answer to their final “Jeopardy!” question. (Getty Images)
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A month later, on an episode of “Jeopardy: Tournament of Champions,” contestants Ben Chan, Yogesh Raut and Troy Meyer missed a $400 clue about song by Taylor Swift in the “Songs of youth” category.
A blurb read by Jennings said, “Inspired by her best friend, Tay Tay sang when ‘someone tells you they love you’ at this age for the title ‘you’ll believe them’.”
The correct answer was “Fifteen,” the title of Swift’s country-pop song from her second studio album, 2008’s “Fearless.” The musician previously said that “Fifteen” was inspired by her high school best friend Abigail Anderson, who experienced a painful breakup with boyfriend when she and Swift were 15.
“We’ll kill for it,” Meyer said with a laugh.
Taylor Swift’s Song Clue Confused “Jeopardy!” competitors. (Getty Images)
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A “painful” mistake
A “Wheel of Fortune” contestant lost a big prize thanks to one wrong letter. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for CBS Media Ventures/Sony Pictures Television)
Fans of “Wheel of Fortune” were frustrated by a costly player error during the May episode.
Contestant Kimberly Wright landed on the Express peg when the board read “DU _ _ – _ _ LLED PLATYPUS.”
“I’m going to call F,” Wright said to groans from the studio audience.
Wright apparently believed the correct answer was “platypus filled with duck” when it was actually “platypus with a duck’s beak”.
Contestant Marie Kioski of Owosso, Michigan solved the puzzle, winning a trip to Margaritaville Vacation Club Rio Mar in Puerto Rico, valued at $7,250.
“Oh, that was painful. F?? She thought the platypus was filled with? what exactly?” wrote a viewer on Xu, formerly Twitter.
