Additional Coverage:
- ‘Wheel of Fortune’ fans slam Ryan Seacrest for costing contestant $10,000 by interrupting her (marketrealist.com)
Oops! Ryan Seacrest’s Chatty Moment Costs Wheel of Fortune Contestant Big Bucks
While Ryan Seacrest has been settling into his new role as the host of “Wheel of Fortune,” a recent on-air moment has fans buzzing – and not in a good way. Viewers are up in arms after Seacrest’s well-intentioned, but ill-timed, commentary appeared to cost a contestant a whopping $10,000 and a potential shot at the Bonus Round.
The incident unfolded during a recent episode when contestant Pia Wilson was hot on the trail of a puzzle in the “What Time Is It?” category.
Wilson had already accumulated an impressive $10,200 and seemed poised for more. As the “Only Vowels” bells chimed, signaling that contestants could only choose vowels, Wilson quickly hit her buzzer, ready to make her move.
However, before Wilson could utter a letter, Seacrest interjected. He began to explain the “Only Vowels” rule, presumably for the benefit of home viewers who might not have been familiar with the nuance.
Unfortunately, his explanation ate up crucial seconds on Wilson’s timer. Just as she was about to guess “A,” her time expired, handing the opportunity – and eventually the win – to her opponent.
Wilson’s visible displeasure was quickly mirrored by the show’s dedicated fanbase, who took to social media platforms like Reddit to air their grievances. One fan, claiming to have been present during the taping, offered an interesting peek behind the scenes.
“Ryan asked her after the cameras stopped rolling if she knew it, and she indicated that she did,” the fan revealed. “A group quickly gathered around her, and after some discussion, it was decided that they would play an additional $2500 TDV spinning round that wouldn’t count in the standings where Pia would start, and 3 consonants would be revealed before the first spin.
In the end, she won that round. Had never heard of anything like that happening before.”
Other viewers simply expressed their outrage over the host’s interruption, feeling that it unfairly robbed Wilson of her chance. “I looked up and joined this subreddit just to look for this comment!!!
Dude he wouldn’t shut up, and she KNEW the puzzle! I am so mad for her lol,” one impassioned fan commented.
Another chimed in with a suggestion: “Yes! I was shocked.
The timer shouldn’t start until he stops talking.” A third viewer echoed the sentiment, stating, “It feels like there were at least 2 long-standing rules that were broken.
One was the contestant getting 3 seconds to give their answer. That clock should have started after Ryan shut the hell up, not after the letter got posted.”
As Ryan Seacrest continues to settle into his new role, this incident serves as a stark reminder that on “Wheel of Fortune,” every second truly counts – especially when thousands of dollars are on the line.