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Pat Sajak Says 'My Apologies' After Admitting He Doesn't Know Who Benedict Cumberbatch Is

Joelle Goldstein
·2-min read
Pat Sajak and Benedict Cumberbatch
Pat Sajak and Benedict Cumberbatch

getty (2) Pat Sajak (left) and Benedict Cumberbatch

Pat Sajak apologized to Benedict Cumberbatch after admitting that he didn't know the actor during a recent episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.

On Sunday, celebrities Tatyana Ali, Haley Joel Osment and Curtis Stone all competed on the show for the chance to win up to $1 million for charity.

At one point during the game, Ali — who is best known for her role as Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — solved a puzzle with the answer, "Eggs Benedict Cumberbatch."

Following the round, Sajak, 75, asked Ali, 43, to "explain" who Cumberbatch was for those who might not know. At first hesitant, Ali responded, "Benedict Cumberbatch is an actor, right?"

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Sajak then admitted that he actually had no idea, telling Ali with a laugh, "I didn't have the answer so I pretended like I was just saying, 'So tell us. I, of course, know it but you tell us.' And that was a little host trick."

Sajak added, "My apologies, Mr. Cumberbatch. But I spend a lot of time in my basement. I have no idea what's going on."

Benedict Cumberbatch attends Netflix's "Power of the Dog" premiere during the 59th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on October 1, 2021 in New York City.
Benedict Cumberbatch attends Netflix's "Power of the Dog" premiere during the 59th New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on October 1, 2021 in New York City.

Monica Schipper/Getty Benedict Cumberbatch

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Following the episode, the official Wheel of Fortune Twitter account made light of Sajak's comment.

"Our apologies, Benedict Cumberbatch! #CelebrityWheelOfFortune" the account tweeted beside a laughing face emoji.

In response, some fans expressed their surprise that Sajak didn't know who the Sherlock actor was.

"How could anyone in show business not know Benedict really? He's one of the best actors today" wrote one user.

"Sounds like you have found someone to compete in an upcoming Celebrity Wheel of Fortune!" joked someone else.

RELATED: Benedict Cumberbatch Discusses 'Fix' for Toxic Masculinity: 'We Just Have to Shut Up and Listen'

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Cumberbatch, 45, is best known for his roles as Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock, Dr. Stephen Strange in Dr. Strange and the other Marvel Cinematic Universe films as well as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. Most recently, the British actor starred as Phil Burbank in Netflix's The Power of the Dog, which has been garnering awards buzz.

As fans of Cumberbatch know, his talents on screen have earned him several accolades, including an Emmy Award and multiple nominations for Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and an Academy Award.

Osment ended up winning Sunday's episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. He earned a total of $139,950 for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.