‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Fans Have One Big Issue With Ryan Seacrest
After spending 41 seasons as the host of “Wheel of Fortune,” Pat Sajak handed over the baton to Ryan Seacrest. Though the show has done well from a ratings standpoint, it seems like the audience is still unsure about the new host.
According to Nielsen data, “Wheel of Fortune” averaged 7.99 million viewers during September. That was the premiere month of Season 42. It’s possible some people just wanted to get a look at Seacrest in Sajak’s role. However, the ratings for the popular game show remain very strong even now that it’s in December.
Seacrest has definitely sustained a certain level of professionalism that Sajak brought to the set of “Wheel of Fortune” every episode. That isn’t the issue at all for viewers. Judging by some remarks made on Reddit, fans want to see Seacrest have a bit more unscripted fun while on TV. They believe he’s a bit robotic compared to Sajak, who was always willing to have fun with the viewers.
“We’re starting to like Ryan he isn’t as bad as we thought but we were just talking about how we missed Pats quick wit – he seemed to always come up with something on the spot and it may have been a little sarcastic but we like that kind of humor,” one fan said.
Another fan commented, “Ryan isn’t relatable and he’s kinda cold, he moves on too quickly, and, after last night’s show, I don’t think he manages the time as well as Pat did.”
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 30: (L-R) Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest attend the WOF S42 – Pier Wheel Launch at Santa Monica Pier on August 30, 2024 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for CBS Media Ventures / Sony Pictures Television)
Phillip Faraone/Getty Images
“I do miss some of his quips and ad libs. Ryan’s done this a little bit but mostly just during the contestant interviews,” a third viewer wrote.
“Ryan lacks to build suspense and just rip the bandage off and just shows them rather than Pat who build up emotion showing that he’s upset they lost a big cash prize,” a fourth Reddit user said.
Seacrest showed this week that he has what it takes to be an unpredictable host by breaking out into a dance during a previous episode. It was a brief moment, but he won fans over with that gesture.
Maybe, just maybe, Seacrest needs to let loose more often.
Seacrest has been in the TV industry for so many years, so he’s not afraid of the bright lights.
Hopefully, Season 42 of “Wheel of Fortune” is just the start of a successful run for Seacrest. In order for that to be the case though, he’ll need to turn a few more critics into believers.
