Pat Sajak Scolds ‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant for Touching His Cards: “Don’t Ever Do It Again”

Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak took a moment to correct a contestant after he touched one of the puzzle cards, something contestants are no longer allowed to do.

Christian Dixie was competing as part of Monday’s (May 8) fan-favorite episode when he got to advance to the bonus round with his $19,300 in earnings.

After Dixie gave the board a spin, both he and Sajak reached for the card it landed on – and shared a rather awkward moment after. “In fairness, we used to do it that way where the player would pick up the thing. So he’s reverting to that, right?” Sajak said.

Dixie nodded, to which Sajak added, “But don’t ever do it again.”

The two shared a laugh as Dixie fired back, “Or I’ll take over your spot as host.”

The category was Phrase. With just the letters E, T, and S on the board, Dixie took a moment to guess three consonants and a vowel. He guessed H, Y, V and A.

“I’ll tell you what,” Sajak said. “Every letter he called is in the puzzle.”

Dixie successfully guessed the puzzle, which was, “Pay Them A Visit,” winning himself a brand new Infiniti Q50.

Dixie first appeared on Wheel in March 2020 as part of College Week, during which he won $65,930 and a paid trip to Barbados.

At the time, contestants were allowed to reach for the card during the bonus round.

Wheel of Fortune airs on weeknights at 7:30/6:30c. Find local listings on the Wheel of Fortune website.