‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Call Ryan Seacrest’s Hosting ‘Annoying’ & ‘Lazy’

Ryan Seacrest is being hit with some criticism from longtime Wheel of Fortune lovers. Since taking over as host for Pat Sajak in September, Seacrest has received mixed reviews from viewers about his performance, with new complaints now rolling in about some of his tendencies.

One fan in the Wheel of Fortune Reddit forum wondered why Seacrest “has been forgetting to remind the player to dump the wild card after landing on bankrupt.” The commenter pointed this out after the Monday, January 27, episode, adding, “I’m not sure if he’s been forgetting too much or he’s just being lazy to remind the player.”

This sparked a discussion about other things that had been bothering viewers about Seacrest’s hosting abilities. “I think the more annoying thing is when he doesn’t remind them to call a letter before they solve in the last round when time is running out,” someone wrote. “Lady today lost out on 1500 or so.”

Another person jumped into say, “Oh my god, I hate the way he shows the money and the bonus round. He holds the card up against his chest and builds up the suspense, and it’s 40K. Sad slide whistle.” Someone else had a list of complaints, writing, “I just don’t believe that he actually loves the game itself. And as the host, he should be pointing out to the players when they have the clock ticking or ‘Don’t want to guess a letter first?’ It [would show] he cares about everyone doing well. And good grief — announce the dollar amount of the prize money at the end of the final spin.”

However, there were other commenters who jumped to Seacrest’s defense. “I love him. Think he is awesome,” someone said, while someone else wrote, “I’d prefer the host not remind people how to play the game. If I’m in the lead and the host reminds another player to guess a letter, and it results in them winning, I’d be pissed. I played the game correctly and didn’t need a reminder. Why is the host helping the other player? It’s fairest to just let everyone play and the best player wins.”

A third person added, “I really enjoy how Ryan hosts the show. He’s enthusiastic and really cheers the contestants on. I never cared for Pat’s snarky comments.”

Sajak was the host of Wheel for 43 years before he left the gig last year. His contract lasts through the early 2030s, according to The New York Times.

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