'Wheel of Fortune' fans doubt Ryan Seacrest's ability to 'read numbers' after noticing bonus round habit
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Ryan Seacrest, the new host of 'Wheel of Fortune', is under scrutiny from fans who have raised concerns about his handling of the show's bonus rounds.
Although many viewers have praised Seacrest for finding his stride after initial bumps, others remain divided over his performance, particularly compared to his predecessor Pat Sajak.
Fans question Ryan Seacrest’s ability to 'read' after noticing bonus round habit
Some fans believe Seacrest is still making mistakes, including letting contestants slide on mispronunciations. His mannerisms, which differ from Sajak's, have also sparked debate about his fit for the iconic role.
According to the Mirror, one fan took to Reddit to question Seacrest's ability to "read" after noticing a peculiar habit during the bonus rounds. They pointed out that Seacrest consistently fails to verbally announce the prize amount for the final puzzle.
Instead, he simply opens the envelope, shows it to the contestant, and reveals the prize to the audience on camera. The fan wrote, "He just flips the gold envelope open, looks down at it, and then at the contestant. So you can see that the puzzle was worth $40,000 BUT HE NEVER says the dollar amount of the prize out loud."
The fan found this behavior awkward, noting that Seacrest starts to mention the value but then goes silent, never vocalizing the prize amount. "At first I thought it was just him getting acclimated to the gig, but I'm starting to wonder if maybe he just can't read numbers?" they speculated.
Fans defend Ryan Seacrest, point out that Pat Sajak never read prize amounts aloud either
However, other fans quickly jumped to Seacrest's defense, pointing out that he regularly reads numbers off the wheel throughout the episode, including when announcing the final winnings.
"Ryan can read numbers. He reads them all the time off the wheel and when he reads everyone's final winnings before the bonus round. So he is not numerically illiterate!" one fan commented.
Others recalled that Pat Sajak, the previous host, never read the prize amounts either, further defending Seacrest’s behavior.
"Do you even watch the show? If you don't like Ryan fine... but at least back your criticism up with substance. Saying he can't read numbers is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard," one user argued. Another added, "I don't recall Pat ever reading them out loud either. He just showed it to the camera and contestant."
