'Wheel of Fortune’: Pat Sajak's daughter Maggie appears as special guest letter-turner as Vanna White hosts
Pat Sajak's daughter Maggie appears as a special guest as Vanna White hosts the show
Competition shows can make or break contestants striving for the big prize, whether it be money, a recording contract, or finding the love of their lives.
But often standing in the way of success are the hosts or judges, who can help or hinder a competitor’s efforts.
Whatever they do, fans of these long-running series are vocal with their thoughts.
From established hosts like Pat Sajak on "Wheel of Fortune" to newcomers like Mayim Bialik on "Jeopardy!" or Katy Perry as a judge on "American Idol" and the latest "Bachelor" host – they have all faced trash talk from fans.
Katy Perry, Pat Sajak, and Mayim Bialik have all come under fire for their respective shows (Getty Images)
'Wheel of Fortune'
"Wheel of Fortune" has been on air since 1975, with host Pat Sajak and Vanna White helming the series starting in 1981 and 1982 respectively.
In the past few months, Sajak has had a string of moments that have prompted commentary online from fans.
Early in March, he spoke with a contestant about her fear of fish, who after some questioning said it "was a long story," and seemed to want to move on.
Later in the episode, she was about to make it to the next round when Sajak went to congratulate her, but not before he pulled a fake fish from his pocket, jokingly asking another contestant to hold it for him.
"You'll forgive me for that, won't you?" he asked the contestant.
"I might," she responded quietly.
Fans called Sajak "shady" and "naughty" for the prank.
Pat Sajak has hosted "Wheel of Fortune" since 1981. (Ricky Middlesworth)
The 76-year-old also recently tugged on the beard of a contestant who plays Santa Claus during the holidays.
When he did, Sajak exclaimed, "Oh! I've never done that! And I will never do it again," in a moment dubbed "cringey" by viewers.
The veteran host has had to keep some contestants in check though.
In February, Sajak had to scold a contestant to not reach for the million-dollar prize wedge, as she had not called out a letter to qualify for it yet.
Fans were more on Sajak’s side in that scenario.
"I don't see anything wrong in what he did he was right," wrote one, and another added, "People always make that mistake."
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‘Jeopardy!’
"Jeopardy!" is still struggling to find its footing with a new host after the death of Alex Trebek.
Trebek passed away in 2020, and after a series of guest host tryouts including a controversial choice by executive producer Mike Richards to place himself in the position, "Blossom" star Mayim Bialik and former champion Ken Jennings have shared hosting duties since 2021.
Bialik has mostly been hosting special tournaments and primetime episodes of "Jeopardy!," with Jennings handling standard episodes.
Fans have been outspoken about their preference for Jennings, particularly with the recent scheduling announcement for spring and summer.
Fans have expressed their displeasure with Mayim Bialik as "Jeopardy!" host. (ABC/Tyler Golden via Getty Images)
"Ken Jennings will be back on March 10, and then he will continue the rest of his syndicated run which will take us through April 28," a producer for the show announced on the "Inside Jeopardy!" podcast. "Then Mayim will take over on May 1, and she’ll take us all the way through the summer."
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The news prompted fans of the game show to express their disappointment in the plan, with one commenter saying, "Jeopardy, stop trying to make Mayim happen. It’s not going to happen."
The biggest issue fans seem to have with Bialik is her apparent tendency to pause before confirming an answer. One fan complained the actress "snorts when bad answers occur."
Jennings tried to joke about his absence from the show in early March on Twitter.
When asked what he does when not hosting, he wrote, "I go into one of those freezer cases from the Alien movies when Mayim is hosting, and vice versa."
Ken Jennings tried to make light of his breaks from hosting "Jeopardy!," but fans took the opportunity to trash talk Mayim Bialik. (Raymond Liu)
Fans took the chance to let him and "Jeopardy!" know who they prefer, with one commenter saying they "go into mourning" when Bialik hosts.
Jennings is a record-holder for most consecutive wins and total earnings as a "Jeopardy!" contestant. He was the first person the show asked to guest host in 2020, following the death of Trebek.
Alex Trebek with Ken Jennings after his earnings from his record-breaking streak on the gameshow surpassed 1 million dollars July 14, 2004, in Culver City, California. (Photo by Jeopardy Productions via Getty Images)
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'American Idol'
"American Idol" first premiered on FOX in 2002, wrapping its 15th season on the network before moving to ABC with returning host Ryan Seacrest and new judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.
Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan have been the main judges "American Idol" since it's re-launch on ABC. (Raymond Liu)
The show’s vibe has been overall positive, but in the past few months Perry has faced some backlash over her treatment of contestants, earning Simon Cowell comparisons.
On the March 5 episode, contestant Sara Beth Liebe appeared before the panel. They noted how young she looked, and she revealed she was a 25-year-old mom of three.
Perry asked Liebe if singing was her dream after the contestant revealed being a mother hadn’t left her much time for herself, and she was trying for the first time outside of karaoke and church choir.
Fans came to Sara Beth Liebe's defense after they felt Katy Perry "mom-shamed" the contestant. (American Idol/YouTube)
"If it’s not your dream, you might need to leave because there’s a lot of dreams behind you," Perry told Liebe, referring to other contestants waiting to sing.
Liebe ultimately went through to the next round after getting a chance to sing two different songs, with the "Teenage Dream" singer being the deciding vote to let her through.
Perry, despite being a mom herself, was accused of mom-shaming Liebe, with one commenter writing at the time, "A young mother following a dream while raising her children should be raised up not put down."
Others defended Perry, saying she was simply doing her job as a judge, writing, "Ever heard of Simon Cowell?"
Last month, former contestant Adriel Carrion revealed Perry "traumatized" him during his audition.
In a TikTok shared to his account, Carrion shared a clip from his audition where he set up to do a duet of the Harry Styles song "Watermelon Sugar" with fellow contestant Anthony Guzman.
Katy Perry has drawn some heat from fans online for her tougher commentary as a judge on "American Idol." (Getty Images)
Before the duo began, Perry had been joking about "banning" the song from auditions due to its popularity. When they announced that was the song being performed, Perry exclaimed, "Is this ‘Watermelon Sugar’? Oh f---!"
"It’s the way that it’s been three years, and I’m still traumatized by this moment," he explained.
"I can be getting my beauty rest and all I hear in my nightmares 'Not ‘Watermelon Sugar,’" Carrion continued.
'The Bachelor'
Jesse Palmer has been hosting "The Bachelor" franchise since late 2021, but his efforts have been met with mixed reviews.
While some have found his performance to be fine, others have been more vocal about their displeasure with the former NFL star and season 5 contender.
Jesse Palmer has hosted "The Bachelor" since 2021. (John Fleenor/ABC via Getty Images)
"BREAKING: ABC confirms host Jesse Palmer to be replaced on next season of The Bachelor by an old roomba with googly eyes stuck to it," quipped one commenter after the March 6 episode.
"I don’t know why I can’t take Jesse Palmer seriously. Anytime he pops up on the bachelor I just bol [bust out laughing]," wrote another.
"Jesse Palmer is the worst host everyone is melting down and all you can say is "I remember" ????!! Bring back Chris Harrison," demanded one commenter.
Longtime host Chris Harrison left the show after being accused of defending "Bachelor" winner Rachael Kirkconnell for attending an antebellum-themed party in college during an interview with Rachel Lindsay, the franchise's first Black bachelorette.
Chris Harrison hosted "The Bachelor' franchise for over almost 20 years before leaving after making controversial statements about a contestant's antebellum-themed party. (ABC/Craig Sjodin)
"The Bachelor" has also been struggling in the ratings game.
The season 27 premiere with current bachelor Zach Shallcross, pulled in just 2.96 million viewers, the lowest premiere rating in the show’s history.
The Bachelor stars Zach Shallcross. (Nino Muñoz/ABC)
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Shallcross himself has seen his share of trash talk from fans, calling him a "boring" choice.
Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Brie Stimson, and Emily Trainham contributed to this report.
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