'I Told My Wife Immediately': Wheel of ...

Wheel of Fortune contestant Tavaris Williams is opening up about what fans didn't see behind-the-scenes of his NSFW slipup on the game show

Published Time: 31.05.2024 - 03:31:13 Modified Time: 31.05.2024 - 03:31:13

Wheel of Fortune contestant Tavaris Williams is opening up about what fans didn't see behind-the-scenes of his NSFW slipup on the game show.

During the Thursday, May 23, episode, Tavaris had the audience laughing with his "Phrase" category guess — and left hostPat Sajak, 77, equally surprised in avideo shared on X(formerly known as Twitter). Contestants were left to solve the puzzle and fill in the following missing letters, “_ _ _ _I_T_EB_ _T!”

“Right in the butt?” the Port St. Lucie, Florida native guessed, which triggered a storm of laughter from not only the audience but also from his fellow contestants.

While appearing on Wednesday, May 29th episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Taravis opened up about the moment that's now gone viral and the words of comfort that he received from Sajak.

“Pat was the best — he made me feel so great about that at the break,” he recalled. “He said, ‘You know, we’ll find a tactful way of editing it. I don’t know how, but we’ll do it.’”

Once filming had wrapped, Tavaris went home to his wife and told her what happened so she wouldn't be caught by surprise when the moment finally aired.

“I told my wife immediately after: ‘I will keep everything a secret except this — this you have to know about. They said they might edit it, but I don’t know what it’s going to look like,'" he shared. "And then it was out of sight, out of mind until the world reminded me of what I said.”

Though the NSFW -

Donald Trump Expected to Appeal Guilty V,...

phrase was the first thing that came to mind, Tavaris assured host Jimmy Kimmel, "I have never used those words in sequential order a day in my life, Jimmy.”

The funny moment came after it was reported that Sajak had set a date for hisfinalWheel of Fortuneepisodeafter more than 40 years of hosting the show. PerTVLine, Sajak is scheduled to bid farewell during the season 41 finale on June 7.

The episode will be aptly titled “Thanks for the Memories,” perRotten Tomatoes, and will air one year after Sajak announced his departure.

Reps for Wheel of Fortune did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment when the news was announced last month.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In June 2023, Sajak revealed on Xthat he'd beendinghis decades-long jobas the program’s host, which he began back in 1981.

"Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last," he wrote at the time. "It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)"

Ryan Seacrestis set totake over as hostafter Sajak leaves.