Ryan Seacrest slammed as 'annoying' and 'lazy' by Wheel of Fortune viewers

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Wheel of Fortune viewers have been sharing their frustrations about new host Ryan Seacrest online - with some slamming his 'annoying' failures and labelling him as 'irritating' in comparison to Pat Sajak.

Since taking over from longtime host Sajak in September, the 50-year-old presenter has been dealing with mixed reviews from fans as they adjust to his presenting style on the popular game show.

However, in a recent Reddit post, viewers revealed some of the issues that continue to plague the show after months of Seacrest at the helm alongside Vanna White.

One fan kicked off the complaints and argued about the way Seacrest was failing to properly guide contestants about the rules.

'Ever since Ryan Seacrest took over for Pat Sajak, in recent episodes I've been watching, I've been discovering that Ryan has been forgetting to remind the player to dump the wild card after landing on bankrupt,' the Reddit user noted on Monday.

They continued: 'I'm not sure if he's been forgetting too much or he's just being lazy to remind the player.'

Wheel of Fortune viewers have been sharing their frustrations about new host Ryan Seacrest online

In a recent Reddit post, fans revealed some of the issues that have been dealing with after months of Seacrest at the helm alongside Vanna White

Another user agreed as they added: 'I think the more annoying thing is when he doesn't remind them to call a letter before they solve in the last round when time is running out. Lady today lost out on $1,500 or so.'

The original commenter replied: 'That's exactly how he is. I haven't been too happy on how the season is going along. I would have to agree with you on why he doesn't remind the player to call a letter when time runs short. 

'He has big shoes to fill, but he has even enormous shoes to fill. I understand he's different but not in a way like that.'

Elsewhere, another fan of the show revealed their ire about the way Seacrest plugs his other presenting jobs as they wrote: 'I find Ryan to be very self promoting about his other gigs and his other sponsorship deals in the WOF show. 

'I'm at least glad Vanna is getting to say more, but you can't convince me that they're actually buddies even though he keeps commenting on it and calling her a nickname. She's a pro and plays along.'

The fan continued: 'I just don't believe that he actually loves the game itself. And as the host, he should be pointing out to the players when they have the clock ticking or "don't want to guess a letter first?" — it shows he cares about everyone doing well.'

The Reddit user then added: 'And good grief — announce the dollar amount of the prize money at the end of the final spin — I'd think the ADA rules would require that. 

'When they win, the announcer says the amount — but when they loose there's a long delay before Ryan says it. For the visually impaired SAY IT.'

One fan kicked off the complaints and argued about the way Seacrest was failing to properly  guide contestants about the rules

Fan got heated about the way Seacrest was failing properly guide contestants about the rules

The complaint echoed a similar statement made by the original commenter who wrote: 'Also, I don't like how he opens the bonus envelope backwards like a piece of paper and he doesn't read the bonus envelope prize out loud.'

'Oh my god, I hate the way he shows the money and the bonus round', another viewer agreed. 'He holds the card up against his chest and builds up the suspense, and it's 40K. Sad slide whistle.'

Yet another fan chimed in and added: 'I've said before he sort of contorts his body flipping open the card... as if its 75k or 100k and it ends up the lowest cash prize. 

'It's strange. He needs to practice just flipping it open without the clumsy body movements.'

One viewer argued: 'It was time for Pat to go, but I agree, weak choice just taking America's host of everything Ryan. He's gotten better, but there's really something missing. 

'He has too much going on in his life to sit back & work on making himself better with this show. Even if this is filmed a few days a month, he's too busy.' 

Another fan noted: 'And tonight was the perfect opportunity for him to say something when she said 'I'd like to solve.' When the contestant just yells it out without calling a letter that's one thing. 

'But when they say 'I'd like to solve' he should step in and say you might want to guess a letter first. Irritating.' 

 Others even shared their gripes about the way he reveals the cash prize envelopes in the show

However, there were several fans who spoke out in defense of Seacrest and praised his time as host so far

However, there were several fans who spoke out in defense of Seacrest and praised his time as host so far.

'Get off of Ryan's back. He is a delightful host,' one fan stated. 'He makes Pat Sejak look like an ogre. He and Vanna are a perfect duo for Wheel. I enjoy the show now more than ever.'

Another commented: 'I really enjoy how Ryan hosts the show. He's enthusiastic and really cheers the contestants on. I never cared for Pat's snarky comments.'

A third added: 'I do like how he is more engaging but he is shortcoming sometimes. pat was... demeaning.' 

Though some fans have been slow to warm to Seacrest, adding him to the game show has been good for ratings. 

Wheel of Fortune averaged 7.99 million viewers during Seacrest's first month, and during that time, the show was 'the most-watched entertainment series across broadcast, cable, and syndication,' according to Nielsen data per Newsweek.

In January, it was revealed that the show only saw a slight drop in audience numbers by the end of 2024.

Per The Los Angeles Times, Nielsen data showed WoF earning an average of 7.9 million viewers through December 1, 2024 - which was an increase of three percent from the prior year.