'Wheel of Fortune' Contestant Details the 'Stern' Warning Pat Sajak Gave Him

Pat Sajak

Contestant Michael Colen, who came out as the winner of the Nov. 3 episode of Wheel of Fortune, recently revealed that host Pat Sajak came up to him off-screen while filming the show to deliver a warning.

Colen, who appeared to have a great time on the show, reacting very excitedly and cracking jokes, spoke with Fox News Digital about the interaction, telling the publication that Sajak approached him in the middle of a commercial break.

"He came up to me and just told me, 'Hey, Michael, you know, this is my show, right?'" said Colen. "And I politely said, 'Yes, sir, it is your show for 41 years.'"

The Wheel of Fortune winner went on, "So, it was funny, of course. But it was stern. There was a stern drop of sternness to it."

He also spoke with The U.S. Sun about the interaction, seeming to clarify: "It wasn’t a warning. But friendly banter... It was the serious, kidding kind of look. But he was serious. He wanted me to know it was his show - but when I watched it at home, I think he appreciated the banter and the back and forth."

Colen, who is a middle school teacher from Sacramento, California, began the show in second place during the first few puzzles before he took the lead from fellow contestant Kathleen Whitley-Harm. He went to the final round but couldn't solve the puzzle, still going home with a nice $38,304.

Wheel of Fortune posted a video of some of Colen's best moments from his episode on social media along with the caption, "Michael proves you can have a good time on Wheel of Fortune no matter if you win or lose 😂."

Colen even responded to the post in the comments, writing, "Yes I can!! Wheel is the best, thanks for having me on the show!!"

Fans also seemed to like his enthusiasm, with a couple of other comments reading, "Loved this guy! We need someone like this as the new host!" and "He’s cracking me up."

Wheel of Fortune is currently airing its 41st season, which will be Sajak's last as the host.

Next: Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak Stunned by Contestant's "Incredible" Solve