We all love watching game shows. They’re fun, exciting, and sometimes even educational. But sometimes, things can go horribly wrong on live TV. And when that happens, it’s usually because of the game show hosts. Game show hosts are supposed to be charming, witty, and professional. They’re expected to keep the show running smoothly and entertain the audience. But sometimes, they lose their cool, make inappropriate jokes, or act downright creepy. And when they do, they create some of the most awkward and scandalous moments in TV history.
In this video, we’ll reveal 9 times game show hosts went too far and shocked everyone with their antics. You won’t believe what some of these hosts did or said on camera. From kissing their co-stars to flirting with their contestants, these are some of the most outrageous game show host fails ever. Also, be sure to stick around to see why Pat Sajak is in a ton of hot water after allegedly attacking a recent contestant of Wheel Fortune!
Are you ready to see how these game show hosts embarrassed themselves and ruined their reputations? Then watch on and prepare to be stunned!
Facts Verse Presents: 8 Times Game Show Hosts Went Too Far
Pat Sajak and Vanna White’s Kiss
The beloved host and hostess of Wheel of Fortune have had a long and storied history of working with each other. Over the decades, rumors have circulated from time to time that suggests that just maybe their relationship was something a little more than platonic. Even so, Sajak has consistently denied that there was any truth to that speculation and insisted that there was no “funny business” going on between him and white.
Despite denying that he had any feelings for White, Pat further stirred the pot and reignted the rumor mill in 1989. At that time, Pat leaves Wheel of Fortune to go work on what will pan out to be his short-lived late-night talk show, so the episode means to be a bit of a heartfelt farewell. In the final moments of the episode, however, something shocking happened that nobody expected! Pat grabbed a hold of his assistant and ex-Playboy bunny and planted a big sloppy smooch on her lips.
Immediately the world starts wondering whether the scandalous kiss had been preplanned or if Pat had made the move spontaneously. Regardless, when it went down, Merv Griffin, the show’s creator, snuck up behind the kissing co-stars to show them that he wasn’t all-that pleased with what he was seeing.
To further muddy the waters of speculation. we dug a little deeper and uncovered a 1987 interview where Pat described his and Ms. Whites’ relationship as being somewhere in-between ‘lovers and feuders”. So it’s feasible that the two already had something going on behind the scenes despite the fact they weren’t in a public relationship.
Gene Rayburn’s Nip Slip
As you’re probably already aware. a Freudian slip is an oftentimes humorous error in speech that occurs due to the interference of an unconscious wish or thought. Basically, you accidentally blurt out something potentially embarrassing because of having too much on your mind.
Gene Rayburn is the host of a game show, “Match Game” in the 1970s, where he interacts with attractive female contestants. On one occasion, he introduced a contestant named Karen Lesko and intended to compliment her on her smile and dimples. However, he accidentally blurted out “nipples” instead of “dimples”, resulting in uproarious laughter from the audience and great embarrassment to the host. Seriously, just look at how red Gene got in a matter of seconds. The man could have passed as a tomato! Needless to say, this was one of the most notorious Freudian slips in television history.
Another notable time Gene took things a bit too far happened in 1973, when one of his contestants was wearing a very short skirt. When she suddenly stood up, she experienced a bit of a wardrobe malfunction giving the audience a glimpse of her unmentionables.
Gene titillates by what he saw that he starts undressing. Celebrity contestant McLean Stephenson then decided that he needed to run up and hug Gene to prevent him from taking off any more of his clothing.
Is it getting hot in here, or is it just Gene?
Alex Trebek’s Creepy Comment
Jeopardy is famous for its high-brow trivia and reputation for keeping things classy, but even its legendary host Alex Trebek once had a moment of indiscretion that made viewers cringe. It happened in 2008, when Trebek was hosting Teen Tournament, a special edition featuring young contestants. The fact that all of the show’s contestants were so young is precisely what made it even more awkward when Alex muttered a creepy and entirely inappropriate comment about one of them.
When Alex was introducing his three contestants, he paused after the third one, Haley Batz, and murmured “so young, so young”. The moment he uttered those words, you could feel the dense fog of awkwardness fill the set. To say that it was uncomfortable is kind of putting it lightly.
Sure, this comment could have been innocent, but it sure sounded like he had something else on his mind.
Bob Barker’s Magic Pocket
You seriously can’t make this stuff up! Long before the days of PC culture, TV game show hosts could just about get away with anything.
Bob Barker was the host of The Price of Right up until 2007. In the 1970s, however, he had a very special pocket that he would occasionally invite his female contestants to reach into.
Yup, that was Bob’s notorious Hundred Dollar Pocket, and boy, did he ever look thrilled whenever an attractive contestant would dive on in there in search of hidden treasure.
In addition to his sleazy money pocket deal, which honestly defies all explanations, Bob was also the subject of multiple sexual harassment allegations coming from several of his former model assistants years after leaving the show
Dian Parkinson and Holly Hallstrom are just two of the ladies who alleged that Bob made improper advances towards them and hounded them for things like gaining weight and refusing to spread untruths in the media to cover up Barker’s alleged wrongdoings.
Meredith Viera’s Steamy Fantasies
This one verges on sexual harassment.
When Regis Philbin bid farewell to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Meredith Vieira stepped in to fill his shoes as the mastermind of mind-boggling questions.
But in 2002, she met her match in Max Schuman, a dashing young Naval Officer who dazzled her with his uniform and smarts.
Meredith couldn’t contain her lust for the handsome sailor and made him squirm with her flirtatious remarks and suggestive gestures. Honestly, watching all of this unfold on live TV was pretty rough.
It was a scandalous display of unprofessionalism that would have surely landed a male host in hot water if he had behaved the same way with a female contestant. Vieira was shameless in her pursuit of the officer, crossing the line of decency and decorum.
Wink Martindale’s Dirty Mind
Wink Martindale is an American disc jockey, radio personality, game show host, and television producer who is famous for hosting Gambit, Tic-Tac-Dough, High Rollers, and Debt.
With a name like Wink, no one would blame you for assuming this host might be into a little bit of kink, but when the Tic Tac Dough ringleader played a little game of ‘Would You Rather’ with YouTuber and singer Trisha Paytas, things got a little too hot and heavy.
Not only did Wink keep making sexually explicit comments that were seemingly straight out of left field, but he also made it abundantly clear that he wanted to get to know Ms. Paytas a little bit better – if you know what we mean.
Richard Dawson’s Kisses
Seriously, what in the world was going on in the 1970s? Was there something in the water?
Family Feud host Richard Dawson not only had a nasty habit of showing up to work every day sloshed, but he also had a rule where he would kiss every one of his female contestants for good luck. Not only did this rule create fertile ground for some awkward moments over the years, but it’s estimated that Richard kissed over 20,000 women during his tenure as host of Family Feud. To make matters worse, it seems as though a vast majority of those kisses were of the french variety.
While it’s arguable that Dawson was taking things too far with all of those kisses, the moment that really takes the cake was in an episode featuring The Greek family. After kissing a member of the family, Dawson made the shocking announcement that it was the first time that he had ever became aroused because of one of his guests.
Just let that one sink in for a second.
Pat Sajak Tackles Guest
It was supposed to be a fun and relaxing night of spinning the wheel and solving puzzles, but things took a violent turn when Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak lost his cool and tackled a contestant on live TV.
The shocking incident happened on Tuesday, March 22, 2023’s episode of the popular game show, which featured a Hawaiian-themed set and a contestant named Fred Jackson, who revealed he was a drama teacher, a bar trivia host, and a professional wrestler.
Fred impressed everyone with his skills and luck, playing a perfect game and winning every puzzle. He even solved the bonus round phrase “His mind is wandering” in just three guesses, earning an extra $40,000 and bringing his total winnings to $75,800.
But instead of congratulating Fred on his amazing performance, Sajak decided to challenge him to a different kind of match. As Fred celebrated his victory with his father and co-host Vanna White, Sajak ran over to him and grabbed him from behind, trying to pin him down and twist his arm.
76-Yea-Old Host
The stunned audience gasped as they watched the 76-year-old host wrestle with Fred, who looked confused and amused by the unexpected attack. Sajak had previously joked that he would body slam Fred for being a brute after he learned about his wrestling hobby.
Some fans wondered if Sajak was jealous of Fred’s success or if he had a grudge against wrestlers. Others thought it was just a playful prank gone wrong. But no one could deny that it was one of the most bizarre moments in Wheel of Fortune history.
Fred managed to free himself from Sajak’s grip and laughed off the incident. He said he was not hurt by the host’s antics and that he enjoyed being on the show. He also said he would use some of his money to buy more wrestling gear.
“Just Having Fun”
Sajak did not apologize for his behavior or explain his motives. He simply smiled and waved goodbye to the viewers as the credits rolled. He later tweeted that he was “just having fun” with Fred and that they were “good friends”.
But not everyone was amused by Sajak’s stunt. Some viewers took to social media to criticize him for being rude, unprofessional, and disrespectful to Fred. They accused him of mocking Fred’s passion for wrestling and trying to steal his spotlight. They also called for him to be fired or suspended from the show.
Others defended Sajak, saying that he was just joking around with Fred and that they both seemed to have a good time. They praised him for being funny, spontaneous, and entertaining. They also pointed out that he has been hosting Wheel of Fortune for almost 40 years without any major controversies or scandals – well, at least none besides that aforementioned kiss.
What do you think? Was Pat Sajak out of line or just having fun? Let us know in the comments below!
