Did Pat Sajak Flat-Out Refuse Wheel Of Fortune Contestants Who Were Taller Than Him?
Highlights
- Rumors suggest that Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak was particular about the heights of each contestant.
- Wheel of Fortune producers do have a specific technique when dealing with the heights of their contestants.
- To become a contestant on Wheel of Fortune, applicants must go through a rigorous application process and adhere to various rules, including paying for their own travel expenses and saying each word of the puzzle exactly to win prizes.
In the years since Pat Sajak began hosting Wheel of Fortune in 1981, he has become a game show legend. As a result, fans want to know things about Sajak's personal life including why his daughter Lesly avoids the spotlight and what happened to his ex-wife Sherrill Sajak.
While many fans adore the show and its host, there have been some Wheel of Fortune controversies over the years. For example, some fans have come to think that Sajak refuses to let some people be contestants simply because they are taller than him.
Does Pat Sajak Ban Tall People From Wheel Of Fortune?
When Wheel of Fortune debuted on television, it was hosted by Chuck Woolery. While Woolery has gone down in history as the host of Love Connection, very few people associate him with Wheel of Fortune.
When most people think of Wheel of Fortune, four things come to mind. Of course, one of those things is the titular wheel and another is the puzzle board. On top of that, co-hosts Pat Sajak and Vanne White have also become synonymous with the popular game show.
As Wheel of Fortune's main host for decades now, Sajak clearly has a lot of clout behind the scenes. On top of that, Sajak has also become Wheel of Fortune's consulting producer over the years which formalizes the fact that he has some authority over the show.
With that in mind, it certainly seems possible that Sajak could have certain kinds of people banned from competing on Wheel of Fortune if he wanted. That said, it begs an obvious question, why would anyone think that Sajak limits who appears on his show?
Since Wheel of Fortune has been a television mainstay for decades, there are lots of people who've watched an episode here and there. However, the reason the show has been a success for decades is that it has an extremely loyal fan base.
Based on Wheel of Fortune's success in the ratings, it seems clear that millions of people watch the game show every day that they can. Many of those loyal fans have developed a relationship with the show that is truly special.
As anyone who has watched Wheel of Fortune with a loyal viewer will know, many of them can solve puzzles remarkably quickly. Those fans have developed that ability by picking up on the show's patterns.
On top of picking up on patterns related to Wheel of Fortune's puzzles, many of the show's fans have noticed other things. There is a remarkable visual aspect of Wheel of Fortune that most casual viewers will never notice even though it is fascinating.
Now that Wheel of Fortune has been on the air for decades, it is impossible to estimate how many contestants have appeared on the show. However, it should go without saying that loads of people have competed on the show.
Since Wheel of Fortune allows all kinds of people to apply, contestants with varying backgrounds have appeared. More importantly for this article, contestants with wildly different body types have tried to win big money on Wheel of Fortune.
Despite the fact that Wheel of Fortune contestants that look very different appear on the show, there is one thing they all seemingly have in common. After fans watch Wheel of Fortune regularly, some of them notice that every contestant appears to be the same height. On top of that, every contestant seems to be the same height as Pat Sajak.
Keeping in mind that nobody on Wheel of Fortune appears to be taller than Sajak, it is easy to understand why fans may think the host refuses to appear alongside anyone taller than him. While that may be the assumption fans make, the truth is what matters.
In 2015, someone from WLKY interviewed Sajak in an attempt to learn behind-the-scenes facts about Wheel of Fortune. Assuming that Sajak was being forthright during the resulting conversation, and there is no reason to think otherwise, there is a reason everyone on the show seems to be the same height.
According to Sajak, Wheel of Fortune's producers needed to figure out what to do so that contestants could reach the wheel to spin it. Early on, they attempted to solve the problem by having contestants stand on boxes. However, that would make Sajak look tiny as little old ladies would appear to be taller than him because of the box they stood on to reach the wheel.
"(The wheel) is heavier than you think. When the show first started, we would put shorter players on boxes, but problem is I would walk next to a great-grandmother on the show and I would walk next to her and people thought I was a jockey so now we are on risers and when they go up, I go up and we stay about the same size. But it got engrained in people that I was about 4 feet 3."
Using those risers, Wheel of Fortune's producers make everyone on the show appear to be the same height, including Sajak. That means that while there is some truth to the idea that Sajak and producers don't want him to look tiny, they don't have to ban contestants that are taller than the host. Instead, all they have to do is lower the risers to make contestants that are taller than Sajak look the same height.
What Rules Do Wheel Of Fortune Contestants Have To Follow?
Knowing that Wheel of Fortune's producers are open to people of all heights competing on the show, fans may want to be the next person in line. However, anyone who dreams of making it on Wheel of Fortune someday has to know that the odds are very long.
The first step that anyone who wants to compete on Wheel of Fortune must complete to make that a reality is to apply. That process includes answering many written questions and applicants can send in a very short video if they choose to.
In 2019, The Palm Beach Post published an article looking at what it takes to appear on Wheel of Fortune. According to that piece, Wheel of Fortune received roughly a million applications annually of which 10,000 people make it to the next level which is a formal audition. The article also stated that only 600 of the million applicants actually make it on the show.
If someone is lucky enough to be chosen to be a Wheel of Fortune contestant, there are many rules they have to follow. A perfect example of that is that they must pay for their own travel to Wheel of Fortune's studio.
Once they are on set, contestants have to do things like take practice spins, dress appropriately, and not bring any devices with them. To win any of the prizes that are up for grabs, Wheel of Fortune contestants also have to say each word of the puzzle exactly. These are only a small fraction of the rules Wheel of Fortune contestants follow.
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