Plus, how Ryan’s Wheel of Fortune ratings compare to competitor Jeopardy!
WHEEL of Fortune fans are upset at Ryan Seacrest for failing to clarify the rules to a contestant, as the confusion caused the player to miss out on the bonus round.
Ryan, 49, took over for longtime host Pat Sajak and began hosting Wheel of Fortune alongside Vanna White in September.
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Ryan Seacrest is the new host of Wheel of FortuneCredit: CBS
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Fans slammed Ryan for a mistake they claim Pat Sajak wouldn’t makeCredit: Getty
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On the November 26 episode, the contestants took turns trying to solve the puzzle with the category “event” for the final spin.
When it was contestant Oleh’s second turn, he opted to solve the puzzle instead of guessing a letter, which would’ve bumped up his total by $6,000 per letter.
Ryan said, “$14,000, just shy of making it to the bonus round.”
Kathryn made it to the bonus round instead, which she did not win, with a total of $14,176.
FAN BACKLASH
Fans were outraged that Ryan did not encourage Oleh to pick a letter before solving, as viewers claim former host Pat, 78, had helped clarify rules to contestants in the past.
One viewer wrote on Wheel of Fortune Reddit, “Pat would have reminded him to guess a letter before solving.”
A second said, “If I’m Oleh, I’m upset at myself for not realizing the situation… I’m also angry at Ryan for not doing something that Pat always made a point to do in this exact situation.
“It’s not the host’s job to point those types of things out but Pat always tried so now we expect it.”
A third person asked, “Could Ryan not say something???”
A fourth responded, “Exactly! People do this all the time, or at least try to. Pat was great at always reminding them to call another letter first though.
“I’m pretty sure Ryan did the same thing in his first or second episode, which was passable since he was new. But now?”
Fans even speculated the rules could’ve changed with Ryan’s tenure, as one said, “Ugh we felt so bad here too and then wondered about Ryan not saying he can call a letter.
“However I think I’m with what someone else said here that Ryan interfering wouldn’t have been fair. I know Pat did and Ryan also did before but maybe producers said nope, no more?”
Wheel of Fortune did not respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment on the fan theory.
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Ryan failed to remind contestants of the rulesCredit: CBS
RYAN’S MISTAKES
Ryan had trouble adjusting to his role as host during the first few episodes.
On the premiere episode, a contestant mispronounced the word “ripened” while solving a puzzle.
Ryan ignored the mishap and granted the player the win.
“I thought he said the wrong word, but when Ryan said he was correct, I assumed I had misheard,” one fan wrote on Instagram.
“Why would the producers allow him to win the puzzle when he was wrong? Not a good way to start the new season, especially with a new host,” another viewer added.
“I don’t like the fact that Terry mispronounced the winning trip puzzle, and he won it!!!! Pat would have said, ‘I’m sorry, Terry, that’s not the answer,'” another said.
“I agree – I agree, Ryan is fired after the first episode,” a viewer demanded.
On his second night as host, he failed to explain the rules to a contestant again, resulting in her losing a million-dollar prize.
“Pat would’ve explained that if she took the risk, she would’ve lost the million-dollar wedge,” one X user wrote.
“Pat would always remind the contestants if they look under the $10,000 they could lose their $1 million wedge. Ryan needs to do this too…” wrote a second.
Then on the September 16 episode, contestant Vivian made it to the bonus round to solve the “What Are You Doing?” puzzle.
Vivan picked “C, H, M, and P” for consonants, while she picked the letter “I” for her vowel.
Vivian screamed out trying to solve the puzzle, “Wondering some help, answering some help, finding some help, looking around for some help, boundary for help.”
The buzzer then went off, as Vivian couldn’t solve the puzzle, which read “offering some help.”
Ryan showed the audience the prize, and they gasped when they saw $1 million.
Ryan smiled and laughed as he said, “You were so close to that million dollars. You almost had it.”
Vivan had trouble speaking and looked visibly upset as Ryan said, “Are you alright? Breathe! You’re still walking away with $27,300 and that trip to Europe.”
Fans weren’t happy with how Ryan handled the loss.
One viewer wrote, “Ryan doesn’t show the envelope correctly. He keeps showing it to the contestant when he should be showing it to the audience and viewers at home.
“Also, he didn’t handle the distraught contestant too well.”
A second agreed, “I hear ya. It’s more devastating maybe than he realizes.”
A third complained, “He’s gotta work on his empathy skills. Lol yikes!! Can he even remember what it’s like to not be rich?!”
RYAN’S SUCCESS
Though Ryan has had a rocky start to his debut season, ratings don’t reflect his struggles.
The U.S. Sun previously reported 8,310,000 viewers watched Wheel of Fortune for the premiere week of September 9 to September 15.
As for rival game show Jeopardy!, which is hosted by Ken Jennings, 7,113,000 viewers tuned in for the episodes.
Wheel of Fortune taking over the top spot is a shock, as Jeopardy! brought in more viewers overall last season.
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Despite a rough start, Ryan has brought success in ratingsCredit: Instagram / ryanseacrest
