With over 8,000 episodes under his belt, Pat Sajak remained a fan favorite on 'Wheel of Fortune' until his 2024 farewell. However, despite his longstanding popularity, Sajak wasn’t immune to backlash. In one notable instance, viewers slammed Sajak after a mistake cost a contestant a potential win. Furious fans openly called him out, creating a moment Sajak would likely prefer to forget in his otherwise iconic run.

The drama unfolded in May 2023, after a ruling against contestant Neetu Varshney during 'Wheel of Fortune's' second Toss-Up puzzle. Varshney, a New Jersey teacher and STEM supervisor, answered "In a moment's notice," but Sajak deemed it incorrect. Fellow contestant Jeremy Manos then correctly solved the puzzle with "At a moment’s notice," winning $2,000. This fueled frustration among fans who felt Varshney's answer was close enough, according to the New York Post. Notably, Varshney left the show without any winnings but received a $1,000 consolation prize.

After the episode aired, 'Wheel of Fortune' fans flocked to X, where many openly criticized Sajak. A fan commented, "Neetu deserved that puzzle win @WheelofFortune #wheeloffortune she definitely said "At a moment’s notice," while another remarked, "@WheelofFortune @patsajak NEETU got robbed on that puzzle solve! Booo!" A fan noted, "@WheelofFortune You all robbed Neetu on last night's episode. She solved the first two puzzles correctly, but because of her accent, Pat "old Man sajak" said they were incorrect. I watched over and over again, and she had Both Mall of America & At A moment's notice correctly!" A fan wrote, "Pat this is kinda unfair, man."