‘Wheel of Fortune’: Ryan Seacrest Fires Back After Fans Blast Change He Made to Show
Ryan Seacrest has explained why he pauses for a second or two before showing off the envelope with the prize money in it on Wheel of Fortune. The host fired back at the game show change after fans blasted the way he had introduced “extra drama” to the end of the show.
When Ryan Seacrest shows how much money the Wheel of Fortune contestant won or would have won, he does it slowly. Instead of just opening the envelope and showing the amount to the contestant, he peeks at it and then turns it around, dragging it out before the contestant or fans know what it is.
But he explains that the hesitation in his blood. “I’m used to saying, ‘The winner is … Kelly Clarkson!'” Seacrest told USA Today about his time hosting American Idol, which he has done since Season 1. “Any time there’s a little bit of drama building up the stakes, that makes it fun.”
Seacrest took over for Pat Sajak in 2024 after the longtime host retired. Sajak never said the amount, like Seacrest, but he showed it off quicker.
Reddit users had something to say about the host’s technique. “I hate the way Ryan Seacrest reveals the prize card in the bonus round. When it’s the minimum of $40,000, he slowly opens it and slowly turns it around as if it were a bigger amount. Just open it and turn it around without hesitation when it’s just the $40,000,” the poster said.
One fan said exactly what Seacrest did. “He’s got those American Idol dramatics ingrained in him,” they said.
“LOL, yes, a little over the top, but I like him,” a fan replied.
“I like Ryan! He seems excited to be there, and he’s personable with the contestants. The slow reveal is frustrating, I agree!” a third added.
“I have to agree here, he shouldn’t be doing a ‘slow reveal’ when it’s the minimum amount,” another wrote.
“I’ve also noticed that, and I HATE it cause it’s never anything but 40K HE TREATS IT LIKE 100,000. It ain’t,” one last fan said.
However, some fans came to his defense. “Ryan is doing a better job of showing the card to the camera than he did last season. Sometimes he held it at an angle where the contestant could see it, but it wasn’t very visible to the camera. I do find the slow reveal of the minimum prize misleading or a bit of a let-down,” one said.
“I don’t think this is fair. Give it a few seasons,” said another.
Does this quirk about Ryan Seacrest bother you? Let us know in the comments.
Wheel of Fortune, weekdays, check local listings, stream next day on Hulu and Peacock
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