ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

'Wheel of Fortune' player misses out on $13,000 prize and fans are blaming Ryan Seacrest for it

The fans were not happy since Seacrest didn't exactly come across as helpful towards the contestant.
PUBLISHED JAN 5, 2025
Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest on Wheel of Fortune (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest on Wheel of Fortune (Image source: YouTube/Wheel of Fortune)

Ryan Seacrest was no stranger to hosting TV shows before he took over the reins of "Wheel of Fortune from Pat Sajak, but handling the iconic game show has been a bumpy ride for him. Seacrest has been embroiled in some controversies both on and off the set. Most recently, fans of the show blamed Seacrest for costing a contestant $13,250 after failing to inform him about a crucial advantage. 


@ryanseacrest A glimpse of my first day at @Wheel of Fortune, and I’m still spinning with excitement 🙃 #fyp #wheeloffortune #firstdayofschool #game ♬ original sound - Ryan Seacrest

 

The controversial moment was witnessed during the Christmas special episode that aired on December 17th. The contestant in question was Phil McManus, a cancer survivor from Palmer, Massachusetts. McManus had some rough rounds before the incident and had some ground to make up with $0. 

He got the control of the wheel during a mid-game “Things” puzzle and landed on the Express Wedge. Seacrest explained to McManus that he could ride the train and get $1000 for every consonant and he could buy vowels. "But if you miss a letter, not up there, it’s a total bankrupt.” 

The contestant jumped in to ride the train and correctly guessed the consonants  "C,” “N,” and “H,” after which the puzzle read, “THR_ _ _ _ N_’ ‘ATTRACT_ _ NS," as per TV Insider. 

The contestant was struggling to get more when Seacrest asked him to “Hurry.”

In haste, McManus guessed “G” and then “W,” both of which were incorrect guesses that left him bankrupt and out of the game. “It was a good try. You had a good run. I like that you went for it," Seacrest said to console the player.



 

However, fans weren't happy with the host's conduct. While Seacrest had mentioned in the beginning that McManus could buy vowels, viewers pointed out that he should have reminded the player about it instead of rushing him. 

“I’m not going to lie it irked me that the guy didn’t call a vowel on the express when he was blanking on what to say next. Why not call a vowel?? He guessed a wrong letter and lost when he could have said a vowel which would have probably helped him out," a fan wrote in a Reddit discussion thread on the Wheel of Fortune forum.

Several users agreed with the original poster saying Seacrest could have done more. "I’ve noticed this a lot, Ryan is a great personality as a host but fails at game rule reminders. I’m sure this will come with time as he gets more comfortable with the role," @GameBoi27 commented

Many tried to justify the mistake and tried to find excuses for the host. "Ryan has too many jobs. If his work focus was strictly on doing the best at this job, these things wouldn't have happened. Just like on the final spin when someone says they want to solve & he just says 'ok' rather than - no, pick a letter & get some money. But no, he's planning his radio show, NY Eve show, American idol, and everything else in between," @jrclarke413 suggested. 

TV Insider pointed out that while Seacrest had big shoes to fill, he had done a considerably good job. As per the publication, his debut month was the strongest ratings month for the show in the past three years.



 

Seacrest has also done well with the contestant interviews, which he does without cue cards. Nevertheless, hosting a gameshow does come with a fair share of backlash.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
After the contestant, Drew Carey broke the board further while trying to fix it...
9 hours ago
As it so turned out, a crucial ruling from the judges led to a BIG win for the player.
11 hours ago
When a guest brought a precious Charles Rohlfs chair, expert John Sollo confessed that he was nervous to appraise it.
13 hours ago
The guest had no idea about the item being a Tiffany product and being embedded with a rare gem.
1 day ago
The host was baffled by the goof up that the contestant made between two words.
1 day ago
Carey showed that he has got the weapon of sarcasm, and he isn't afraid to use it.
1 day ago
Whatever the host was expecting, it was far away from what the contestant said on national TV.
1 day ago
The guest was surprised to learn more about the item he had actually found on the street for free.
1 day ago
After going through everything on the board, the player left Harvey in hysterics with his answer.
2 days ago
As it so turned out, the weird-looking floor lamp was a piece from a very famous studio.
2 days ago
Most contestants were consistently getting the answers wrong, and Harvey was worried about what was next.
3 days ago
Some claimed that they got the puzzle despite English being their second language.
3 days ago
The letter was written to a columnist in response to a piece taking a swipe at Sinatra.
3 days ago
In a special episode of Celebrity Family Feud, a WWE star decided to go for the one thing Harvey is known for.
3 days ago
Luck was shining for her as she was off to a flying start and won the car with a single card.
3 days ago
Sajak had a witty reply for the contestant who was fanboying over White during the game.
6 days ago
The model said that considering White's age she would also take the offer from Sony.
6 days ago
Sheila won a brand new entertainment unit, complete with an HD plasma TV and mini bar from Howard Miller.
7 days ago
The appraiser disclosed that Yoakum began painting in the 1960s and he created one unique piece of art every single day.
7 days ago
The entrepreneur also managed to get the sharks to taste the vegan alternative meant for pets.
7 days ago