'Wheel of Fortune' host Ryan Seacrest dodges injury as contestant almost kicks him in the face

Things could have ended up quite nasty had he connected his boot with the host's face.

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May 6 2025, Published 8:46 a.m. ET

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Ever since Ryan Seacrest took over as the host of “Wheel of Fortune,” he has found himself in painful situations when he performed a break dance routine, took a tumble, and was in a headlock. In a recent episode, things could've ended with a serious injury when a contestant named Demitri Vyzis almost kicked host Ryan Seacrest in the face. However, many viewers argued that Seacrest would've been responsible for the misfortune had the kick landed on his face at the time.

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Vyzis had a fine start to the game as he won the first two toss-ups to earn $2,000. According to a report in TV Insider, he then revealed that he was a former Greek dancer. That’s when the host asked him to perform some of his moves on camera, and the former dancer obliged. One of his steps involved throwing his leg up high in the air, and his boot narrowly missed Seacrest’s face. The host simply said, “You have a long leg, Demitri.”

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The contestant landed on a Bankrupt wedge but was able to recover in the same turn. He guessed the puzzle correctly and earned $10,500. The competition in this episode was tight as neither of Demitri’s competitors was ever far behind. “It’s really anyone’s game tonight,” Ryan Seacrest said. “Who’s going to walk away with the win tonight?” All three solved a Triple Toss-Up, adding $2,000 to their bank. In the end, it all came down to the final puzzle. Vyzis solved it in the Song Lyrics category, taking his total winnings to $14,100. He marginally beat his competitors and made it to the Bonus Round. It was a highly entertaining episode of the show in which everyone was competitive. In the end, however, there can only be one winner on the day.

Vyzis made it to the Bonus Round and now had the chance to win big money or even a brand-new car. The contestant picked the Phrases category, and Seacrest gave him the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E. After these letters were revealed, the puzzle read, “_ __S ____E_.” This was not a lot to go with, and the contestant had the chance to make things a bit easier.

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Vyzis had to choose three consonants and one vowel. He went with the letters W, D, C, and O. Unfortunately, it did not do much to open up the puzzle as it now read, “_ W_S ____ED.” He had 10 seconds to solve the puzzle, and the contestant muttered answers like, “I was boiled,” but all of them were incorrect.

Eventually, his time ran out, and the puzzle revealed itself to be, “I was amazed.” Seacrest opened up the envelope to reveal that he could have won a brand-new car, but Vyzis was still left with $14,100 and seemed happy about it.

Although Ryan Seacrest has had awkward moments as the host of "Wheel of Fortune, he is known to work his charm on "American Idol." On one occasion, he even threw a witty question at Carrie Underwood, who was blushing while watching a contestant perform.

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