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'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.

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