‘Wheel of Fortune’ fans furious after Pat Sajak’s final season premieres: ‘Shame!’
“Wheel of Fortune” fans were left feeling bankrupt after Monday night’s season premiere.
The first show of Season 41, which marks the last for Pat Sajak, spelled disaster for some viewers who were unable to watch because the pregame show for Monday night football ahead of the Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets game caused major scheduling issues.
Fans had to wait until Tuesday morning to catch the premiere, while others unfortunately never saw the episode at all because it remained unavailable.
Many flooded X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to express their displeasure.
“Um I’m a Patriots fan, so I hope both these clown teams lose,” one person said. “I still can’t find Wheel Of Fortune on any channel nor a re-run to record, OR on-demand. It’s Pat Sajak’s last 1st episode. This blows.”
Another on the platform quipped, “Where the hell is tonight’s #WheelOfFortune?? I love football, but it’s the premiere episode of Pat’s last season & my inner boomer is not happy i can’t watch it right now!!”
A third fan explained just how late the game show finally aired in their region.
“Was excited for football and the new season of #WheelOfFortune tonight. But then I became bummed when I found out Wheel is preempted by the pregame show. Wheel of Fortune will be on at 3:05AM in Chicago. Set your DVR.”
Sajak addressed the debacle on X, apologizing to fans for the melee.
“Because of football and squabbles between stations and carriers, a lot of you won’t be able to see some episodes of Wheel this season,” he said on Monday, September 11. “We’re as sorry as you are, but we are powerless to do anything about it.”
It was announced this past June that “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest would be replacing Sajak at the end of Season 41.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”
“Pat, I love the way you’ve always celebrated the contestants and made viewers at home feel at ease,” he added. “I look forward to learning everything I can from you during this transition.”