Oops! Ryan Seacrest Makes His First Big Mistake as Wheel of Fortune Host
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How is Ryan Seacrest doing as host of Wheel of Fortune? For the most part, fans think he’s got a handle on the job — but he did just make his first mistake. What happened? Read on to find out.
The blooper happened on the October 4, 2024 show when Cody Hunger won the week-long BetMGM Big Winners Tournament. Hunger had $27,150 in cash and a trip to Atlantic City and moved into the bonus round (and a $94,900 jackpot prize), with the category “Phrase.”
Seacrest had the contestant spin the wheel to determine what a home viewer would also win. “Whatever you land on, somebody at home will have the chance to win,” he explained. The puzzle was four words and Hunger chose “C, D, Y, O” as his additional letters (his name!). He was able to solve the puzzle quickly: “Out of The Way.”
Ryan Seacrest seemed slightly slow to acknowledge that Hunger had solved the puzzle, however. Vanna White smiled and clapped but Seacrest had a noticeable pause before telling Hunger he had guessed correctly.
Hunger, not aware he had solved it correctly, looked like he was going to try another guess even though White seemed to celebrate that the puzzle was solved. Seacrest finally congratulated the contestant. “Cody… That’s it,” he said. The completed puzzle was displayed and the host said, “You got it! Congratulations,” repeating as the confetti popped, “Congratulations! You got it!”
Hunger’s friends joined him on stage to congratulate him and Seacrest revealed that a lucky viewer won $40,000. The contestant’s winnings of $94,900 was also displayed. Seacrest announced that Hunger had won a “grand total of $148,050.”
In a Wheel of Fortune Reddit discussion, fans discussed Seacrest’s fumble in a thread titled, “How about that pause.” The original poster shared, “What a nightmare for the guy as he had to wait for Ryan to wake up and tell him he got the puzzle.”
Fans weighed in on the moment, with one saying, “Vanna was clapping as soon as he said it! I came here just to see the reactions” and another noting, “I love Ryan but that’s his first blooper hahaha.”
Another fan wondered if Seacrest’s pause was a way to make the moment more exciting, something Seacrest is well-versed in as the host of American Idol. “The pause, I believe, is due to the producers wanting to build up drama,” they said. “It’s happened a few times now with Ryan. Not a fan of the way the show’s being produced since he’s taken over the lead. Jusss Saying…”
Another viewer agreed, commenting, “Yeah this was filmed months ago. If it were actually a mistake it would have been edited out. They did the pause on purpose to build suspense.”
One fan pointed out, “Ryan obviously did that for dramatic effect. He paused and said his name first. And then said he got it. Not a blooper or mistake from what I saw.”
Others called the pause “awkward” and “robotic.”
One fan shared, “I think because Vanna reacted so quickly it caught my attention so there seemed to be a delay to hearing it was right. I don’t think it was for a reaction. I think he goofed!”
