‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Gets Branded ‘Most Annoying Ever’ – How Ryan Seacrest Reacted

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Wheel of Fortune has seen some colorful characters over its 50 years on air, but perhaps none more so than a man who appeared on Monday’s (March 3) episode, whom some fans have dubbed “the most annoying contestant ever.”

The player in question was P.J. Wilder, a house husband from Hanford, California. Wilder immediately stood out for his massive mustache, which he told host Ryan Seacrest is inspired by his love of Hercule Poirot, the famed fictional detective from Agatha Christie’s novels.

“Do you mind if I ask… apple sauce, how… can you?” Seacrest asked, wondering if Wilder has trouble with getting food stuck in his ‘stache.

Wilder joked that he uses “two spoons,” one to maneuver his mustache out of the way of his mouth, and the other to eat.

Things got off to a rough start for Wilder in the first couple of rounds, but he finally found his footing in the Express Round, where he bagged himself $4,200 and a trip to Antigua worth $8,460. “Whooo! Vamanos,” Wilder yelled in celebration.

He then nailed the “OMELET STATION” puzzle in the Triple Toss-Up round, revealing that he refers to them as “Bomblets.”

In the final Speed Up puzzle, Wilder caused some controversy when he answered “SAND IN MY SWIMSUIT” but paused between the last words just as the buzzer sounded. This led to Seacrest having to check with the judges to see whether it would be accepted.

“Count it! Count it!” Wilder shouted while his fellow contestant Caitlin McGowan shook her head and looked uncomfortable.

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When the judges accepted the answer, Wilder broke into a wild celebration, and it sounded like he cursed, screaming, “Let’s f****** go!”

“You cannot change the station,” Seacrest said as he threw to commercials. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with him in the Bonus Round, but it’s going to be interesting.”

In the Bonus Round, Wilder continued his success, correctly answering the “What Are You Wearing?” puzzle and winning a Mini Cooper S Signature Convertible worth $41,200, giving him a massive final total of $74,860 cash and prizes.

While it was a fun night for Wilder, the same couldn’t be said for many viewers, who found the contestant’s antics and over-the-top reactions to be a little too much.

“Anyone else think this guy PJ is the most annoying contestant ever?” asked one fan on the Wheel of Fortune Reddit forum.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a contest look as visibly annoyed at another contestant as Caitlin did while the judges were checking PJ’s answer and he was screaming “Count it! Count it!” I can’t say I blame her one bit though,” said another.

“Felt like a comedian trying to get airtime,” another added.

Another wrote, “I literally came here to express the same sentiment. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a contestant that irritated me so much.”

“I’ve never felt so uncomfortable watching an episode of Wheel of Fortune,” said one commenter.

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“Wow he was unbearable to watch especially when he kept cutting Ryan off. Notice how his wife just stood there on the side? So awkward,” added another.

Another said, “Why in the world did they have this guy on the show. It’s grossing me out. Wtf does he keep looking at on the side? Moreover, his over the top celebration winning the final puzzle was very disrespectful to the other contestants.”

“Is he the most obnoxious contestant ever? Total bull in the china shop actions by him throughout the episode and he was just able to do what he wanted,” commented one user.

“He must be insufferable at work and social gatherings…,” said another.

However, not everyone felt the same, as a few viewers enjoyed Wilder’s manic energy.

“This PJ guy was awesome,” said one Reddit user. “Seriously, he was entertaining to the very end. Anyone else enjoy this dude?”

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“Looked like he was having fun, and that was fun to watch,” added another.

One fan, who compared Wilder’s look to Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson) from Peaky Blinders, wrote, “For the record, though, thought he was a great contestant and he brought the kind of energy we needed.”

“Hands down my favorite contestant ever,” said another.

What did you think of Wilder? Was he the best or worst contestant ever? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.