Wheel of Fortune fans call out show for ‘lame’ rule change in Toss-Up Challenge

During the last episode of Wheel of Fortune, viewers were upset as they took to Reddit after realizing the show had changed the rules for the Toss-Up Challenge.

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Wheel of Fortune fans are questioning why a long-standing rule has been changed.

Since Ryan Seacrest took over for Pat Sajak, fans feel the game show “feels different.” They have claimed the already-difficult bonus puzzles have gotten tougher and the prizes are now “cheap.”

Now, the fans are upset that there has been a sudden rule change so far into the season.

During the latest episode of Wheel of Fortune, three contestants participated in the beloved Toss-Up challenge. During the game, letters are steadily revealed as the players are prompted to quickly guess before the entirety of the phrase is shown on the board. When they have an answer, they must buzz in.

While Seacrest orchestrated the game, two contestants took a chance at guessing the puzzle but, unfortunately, were incorrect. This left the final player with the last and only option to win.

Wheel of Fortune Toss-Up Challenge. (Image: Wheel of Fortune)

When contestant Jenn guessed “Well-balanced meal” correctly, Seacrest quickly followed by saying “Buzzer?” to the judges. A sound effect that exposed an incorrect response.

The host stopped the game while the audience groaned in disbelief. After consulting with the judges, he informed the player: “No, sorry. You gotta buzz in for that. ‘Well-balanced meal’ was the correct answer there, but you gotta use that little device.”

It wasn’t soon after the segment aired for fans to compare the moment to a similar one that happened in a previous season with Pat Sajak.

In the past round, Sajak responded to a contestant that did the same and said: “No, you were the only one left. It’s all fine, all clear. We’re not going to jail or anything.”

On Reddit, viewers debated how fair the ruling was to the contestant.