Originally appeared on E! Online
One contestant’s “Wheel of Fortune” answer brought him anything but big money.
On the May 23 episode of the iconic game show, a player named Tavaris Williams left the crowd and host Pat Sajak speechless when he answered a toss up puzzle with a very NSFW answer.
With the category “Phrases,” Williams saw the letters “_ _ _ _ I _ T _ E B _ _ T!,” and immediately buzzed in with the response, “Right in the butt!” The answer drew a loud gasp from the audience, with fellow contestant Tyra exclaiming, “What?!” Sajak let him down with a gentle, “No.”
So what was the real answer? Well contestant Blake was able to guess the puzzle correctly: “This is the best!”
It was not, in fact, the best for Williams, as the Florida native gave a chuckle and quipped, “Much better answer.”
And as Sajak — who is enjoying his last season as “Wheel of Fortune” host — pointed out during Williams’ interview, “You’ve already made an impression on us.”
Williams apologized for the answer, explaining he “was a little excited.”
Sajak, ever the professional, waived it off, saying, “We’ll figure out a way to handle that tastefully. I have no idea what that’ll be.”
Fans online couldn’t get enough of Williams’ answer, with one joking on X, formerly Twitter, “His family is never going to let him live this down.” Another fan didn’t even understand how he’d gotten to that answer, tweeting, “Where did he even get that from the spaces available?!” Meanwhile, one fan added, “He should’ve won!”
Unfortunately for Williams, despite cementing his place in Wheel of Fortune history with his response, he didn’t make it to the end of the game. Contestant Tyra proved victorious, taking home $14,338.
The gamer’s answer is just the latest in a series of hilarious responses host Sajak has gotten to experience after 40 years at the helm. And while he’s sure to hear a few more before his time comes to an end, there will certainly be plenty in the future for incoming host Ryan Seacrest to enjoy.
Plus, the “American Idol” host has the perfect person to help him get acquainted with his new gig: costar Vanna White.
“Being next to Vanna, she’s a legend. She’s an icon,” Seacrest told E! News in December. “We spent a little shooting some promos for next season, and she’s just so down to earth. She’s exactly what you would expect.”