‘Wheel of Fortune’ contestant spars with Pat Sajak: ‘This is my show’

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A popular Wheel of Fortune contestant says that host Pat Sajak reminded him “this is my show” during a break on a recent episode.

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Michael Colen, a middle-school math teacher from California who called himself a “secret rap star,” became a fan-favourite earlier this month thanks to his over-the-top game play.

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“You would do a backflip,” host Pat Sajak remarked at one point after Colen dabbed for the crowd, to which the grinning contestant replied, “I would if I wasn’t so old.”

Elsewhere during his appearance, Colen declared, “Let’s have a relationship,” as he spun the wheel.

After he solved another puzzle with the phrase “Let’s Not Dilly-Dally,” Sajak to joked, “He may rap by night, but he can still say dilly-dally. I like that.”

When Colen tried to pick a vowel that had already been chosen, he joked, “Oh Lord, I’m one of those guys.”

But after Colen failed to solve the bonus-round puzzle, Sajak gently ribbed him when the answer was revealed as “Pick Wisely.”

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“I’ll give you a hint,” Sajak said. “It’s something you didn’t do. Sorry, I had to go for it. And I could do it because you got so much money.”

Colen was victorious, taking home over $38,000, with the show’s official X account sharing some of his highlights. “Michael proves you can have a good time on Wheel of Fortune no matter if you win or lose.”

But Colen said his behaviour might have caught the long-time Wheel host off guard, who confronted him during a break in filming.

“He came up to me and just told me, ‘Hey, Michael, you know, this is my show, right?’” Colen told Fox News. “And I politely said, ‘Yes, sir, it is your show for 41 years. So, it was funny, of course.”

But Colen said the warning was “stern.”

“There was a stern drop of sternness to it,” Colen added.

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Colen said their offscreen exchange was a “battle of wills.”

“It was two alphas going at it,” he reflected on his brief moment of fame, saying that he is “acquired taste.”

“At first, it just took him a quick minute to get used to me. I had to find out where the line was. This is like a lifetime dream. I was screaming, ‘Get me on this show, man,’ for like 30 years,” Colen said.

Colen went on to say that after watching his episode, he thought that Sajak enjoyed his antics.

“I could tell by watching Wheel of Fortune every day — I’m a Wheel watcher — that he was authentically enjoying himself,” Colen said. “When I watched the episode, his laughs were hearty. And his body language was good. So, I think everyone had a good time, including him.”

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On social media, fans of the show cheered Colen’s gameplay, calling him “a human highlight reel.”

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“Michael is the GOAT. He should be hosting,” one person wrote, with another adding, “Love this guy! We need someone like this as the new host!”

Sajak announced that he is stepping away from Wheel of Fortune at the end of his 41st season next year with Ryan Seacrest set to take over hosting duties.

Colen told Fox he was happy he got a chance to compete on the show before Sajak walks away.

“It’s the last season,” Colen said. “That meant a lot … I really like him and learned from his wit and got to tell him.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com

X: @markhdaniell

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