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 / ECONOMY & WORK

'Wheel of Fortune' host Ryan Seacrest tells player ‘you just embarrassed all your kids’ on live TV

Few people expected those words to come from the new host of the popular game show.
PUBLISHED FEB 14, 2025
Screenshots showing the contestant with Ryan Seacrest on "Wheel of Fortune" (Cover image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)
Screenshots showing the contestant with Ryan Seacrest on "Wheel of Fortune" (Cover image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

Hosts such as Pat Sajak and Drew Carey have displayed a unique charm and wit on their respective game shows, setting a benchmark for those after them to follow. Ryan Seacrest has only been a host on “Wheel of Fortune” for a few months since he replaced Sajak, and although he hasn't done anything to stand out, he has presented himself as a kind and supportive individual. But sometimes, Seacrest shows that he can joke at the expense of a contestant. On a recent episode, the host told a contestant named Matt Benton, that he was embarrassing his kids on national television according to a Monsters & Critics report.

Benton made it all the way to the final round of the show after winning $22,148 in cash and other prizes including a trip to Iceland. He now had a chance to increase his winnings by a substantial amount and win a second trip. However, before the game began, Seacrest pointed out that the contestant’s wife was there to support him. “Yes, my incredible, sexy wife, Stephanie,” Benton said.

Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest with Matt Benton and his wife on
Screenshot showing Ryan Seacrest with Matt Benton and his wife on "Wheel of Fortune" (Image source: YouTube | Wheel of Fortune)

He then mentioned that he had three kids at home cheering him on. That’s when Seacrest took his dig saying, “And you just embarrassed all your kids with that exchange right there.” He was referring to what the contestant said about his wife and his children’s mother on national television. Nevertheless, the contestant's focus was mainly on getting this puzzle right. After he chose his letters and the R, S, T, L, and E were revealed, the puzzle read, “_ / F _ R _ _ _ _ / L _ N D.”

This seemed like a tough one to crack and Benton had opted for the ‘Places’ category. He blurted out a lot of answers, neither of which were correct as the clock ticked away. With less than a second left, he guessed, “A faraway land,” which was the correct answer. This win gave him an additional $40,000 and a trip to the Canadian Rockies.



 

Fans of the show have not gotten used to Seacrest’s hosting style and he also has good comic timing. This was evident during a recent episode of the show with a contestant named Traci. She had made it all the way to the bonus round but was faced with a seemingly unsolvable puzzle. After all the letters chosen by the contestant and given by the show were revealed, the puzzle read, “T_E_ _O ___ __C_."

With 10 seconds on the board, Traci guessed, “They go way back,” and that was the correct answer. Seacrest was in shock as he pretended to look all around the contestant to see if she had any earpiece on her that might have helped her guess the puzzle correctly.



 

Fans in the YouTube comments section expressed how impressed they were with Traci. “One of the most impressive bonus round solves I've seen for this season,” one user called @rayanhasan7251 commented. “I couldn't solve that one to save my life, but Traci got it like it was nothing. Congratulations! Enjoy the moolah!” quipped another user named @Garrison_the_Barbarian.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The retailer might end up paying thousands in damages in the near future.
15 hours ago
The products were recalled in 2025 from 40 states after blue pieces of plastic were found in a filter during production.
15 hours ago
The contestant started the game poorly but made an impressive comeback.
15 hours ago
The brand has employed a different method of growing sales compared to its competitors
18 hours ago
This will be fantastic news for the Trump administration, which has been criticized for months.
18 hours ago
"Cyndi, so far $110,461. With that trip to the Daytona 500 added in there," host Ryan Seacrest congratulated.
1 day ago
"Tiffany's inclusion of "O" in the vowel letter combo worked well," a fan praised the player's incredible letter selection.
1 day ago
He believes that it will help the country deal with its national debt problem.
1 day ago
The DHS asked for this data to figure out who all were in the country illegally, despite their unethical approach.
1 day ago
She seemed quite nervous, but that did not stop her from taking risks with lady luck on her side.
1 day ago
Some restaurants are charging extra fees, and this has sparked a debate over transparency.
1 day ago
Residents have been struggling with high prices and this was an opportunity they couldn't miss.
1 day ago
The proposal comes after the volatile ICE crackdown in the state came to an end.
1 day ago
In an effort to lessen the bank's impact on the market and cut borrowing costs, Trump has been pushing the Fed to decrease interest rates.
1 day ago
"President Trump's economic agenda has a proven track record and unleashed historic job wage and economic growth," the White House said.
1 day ago
94% of the burden of these tariffs fell on Americans between January and August, 92% in September and October, and 86% in November. 
1 day ago
Fans of the show were not happy and they made their opinions known.
2 days ago
The report stated that America added 130,000 jobs, much higher than the predicted 70,000.
2 days ago
The affected products were first recalled in January of this year over fears of plastic contamination.
2 days ago
White House senior trade advisor previously said even a gain of 50,000 jobs would be positive.
2 days ago