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'Wheel of Fortune' contestant scares Pat Sajak with her 'Halloween scream' after winning a car

The host was acting unfazed by the horror theme on the episode, but the player had other plans.
PUBLISHED APR 10, 2025
Screenshot showing the moment when Pat Sajak was caught off guard by a scream (Cover image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the moment when Pat Sajak was caught off guard by a scream (Cover image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

As the host of "Wheel of Fortune" for four decades, there was little that could surprise the iconic host Pat Sajak, who had met all kinds of contestants and seen the most bizarre celebrations. However, even after hosting the show for so long, Sajak wasn't prepared for a terrifying scream. During a special "Halloween-themed" episode, a player named Frankie scared the host with her celebration when she won a new car.

Screenshot showing Frankie and Pat Sajak at the wheel (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Frankie and Pat Sajak at the wheel (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)

In the special episode, the show's producers were already having some fun by plugging in jump-scare sounds from time to time to get the best of the players, but there was one man in the room who didn't budge even once, and that was the host. But Sajak's resilience was shaken up when Frankie let out a Halloween scream after winning the "Bonus Round". 

Screenshot showing Sajak's reaction to the scream (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Sajak's reaction to the scream (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)

The player who played wonderfully throughout the episode emerged victorious with the highest prize money. She proceeded to the bonus round, where she had the chance of winning up to $100,000 or a Mini Cooper car. After spinning the wheel, as Sajak and Frankie walked toward the center, a ghoulish shriek played in the background to scare them. Sajak wasn't fazed as he said, "I am sorry sir." In the final round, Frankie was faced with a long two-word puzzle from the "Around the House" category. After getting the standard letters, "R, S, T, L, and E" the player went on to choose "C, P, H, M, and O" as her additional letters. Her picks turned out to be crucial as with everything filled in, the puzzle read, "_H_RLPOOL       _ _ THT_ _."

Screenshot showing the puzzle (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the puzzle (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)

As it seemed like Frankie didn't have enough letters on the board to work with, she took a long look at the board to figure out the answer. Right before the ten-second timer started ticking, it looked like the player was hit with a 'eureka moment' as her eyes lit up. "She seems happy about something!" Sajak noted before he started the timer. Sajak was correct as the player solved the puzzle, which was "Whirlpool Bathtub," within a couple of seconds. While the solution was impressive in itself, Sajak made the moment even more incredible for the player by revealing that she had won a Mini Cooper from the golden envelope. The overjoyed player couldn't control her emotions and let out a loud shriek close to Sajak's ear, scaring him. 

Screenshot showing the player's celebration (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)
Screenshot showing the player's celebration (Image source: YouTube/The Wheel Of Fortune)

As the player's friends and family joined her on stage to celebrate the win, Sajak could be heard saying, "That was quite a Halloween sound there! Wasn't it?" in the background. Frankie and her loved ones then made their way to the new car and continued celebrating around it. 



 

While Sajak was impressed by both the puzzle-solving skills and the scream, viewers at home noted that it was quite a celebration. "Frankie awesome game!! RELAX!!! Enjoy cruising in the Mini C and chilling in a whirlpool bathtub!!! BTW nice scream!" @billgrimes880 wrote in the comments on YouTube.

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