Ryan Seacrest called out by 'Wheel of Fortune' fans for how he reacted to a teacher losing $100,000

It isn't surprising that fans loyal to the iconic host Pat Sajak were harsh in judging his replacement, Ryan Seacrest, on "Wheel of Fortune" from the get-go. But the new face of the show pushed the rating to new heights while producing a few viral moments as well. But despite all that, fans of the show dragged Seacrest again on social media over his reaction to a contestant's heartbreaking $100,00 loss. 

The contestant, Jim Venckus, from Downers Grove, Illinois, was playing against two competitors to win big on the show. The recently retired educator, drummer, and singer in two bands got off to a flying start as he solved the first puzzle in the Toss Up round, winning $2,000 right off the bat. He then spun the wheel for the first category, “Song Lyrics," but he landed on the Bankrupt wedge in his second spin. Luckily, the two other contestants also landed on the same wedge, bringing them all down to $0 at once. Venckus then made a blistering recovery and solved the puzzle, “Just you and I defying gravity” from Wicked, to win $4,900.

The former high school teacher went on to solve more puzzles and won a trip to the Caribbean along with a total of $24,350 in cash. In the final toss-up rounds, Venckus seemed to have lost his touch as he failed to solve any more puzzles. Despite this, his early performance made him the winner. He proceeded to the Bonus Round, for which he picked the category "What are you doing?" and was joined by his wife, who cheered him on for the final puzzle.

Once the timer started ticking, Venckus tried his best to solve the puzzle, but there wasn't much on the board with which to work. All the player could come up with was, “Something the corn,” but that was not right. Once the time ran out, the answer was revealed to be “Popping the cork." “I think you needed a little more of a head start,” Seacrest said to the contestant to console him. He then opened the golden envelope and revealed that Venckus had just lost out on winning $100,000. The player immediately covered his face with his hands while the host awkwardly smiled. Seacrest seemingly let out a chuckle as well before announcing the player's final total.

The reaction from the host did not go down well with the viewers watching the show at home. Fans took to Reddit to criticize the host for his actions. "Why does Ryan think it’s funny when someone loses $100,000?" @Any_Drawer_2059 wrote in a post. 

Several fans joined the discussion, agreeing with the user. "yes I got that too.... strange laughter over such a big laugh.. not funny," @Extension_Job_6333 commented. "He’s probably laughing because he makes a quarter mil per episode, and the contestant can’t even pick up a hundred gs," added @Joe-Stapler.

However, another section of viewers came out in support of the host, explaining the situation.  "I see what you mean, but it doesn't come across to me like laughing at them - more like commiserating, 'we have to laugh so we don't cry,' releasing the awkward moment of the reveal," @853fisher elaborated.

Another user claimed that it was just the host's natural behavior. "He always has a goofy look on his face when opening the bonus round card," @NoDifference4474 clarified.