‘Wheel of Fortune’: Ryan Seacrest Under Fire for Harsher Ruling Than Pat Sajak
ABC
Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest spun into controversy last week over a hotly contested ruling against a player who many viewers felt was unfairly denied a $2,000 puzzle. Longtime fans now claim Pat Sajak would have handled the exact same situation differently and been kinder to the contestant, having found at least one instance of the former host doing so.
On the December 5 episode, things hit a snag during the final “Food and Drink” triple toss-up puzzle. A contestant named Clint incorrectly guessed “Well-Seasoned Meal.” Next, Adrianne buzzed in but faltered, leaving Jenn Walker as the last player who could answer. Host Seacrest told her, “Take your time, and don’t let it fill out.” Jenn correctly solved it as “Well-Balanced Meal,” but the trouble was she didn’t ring in first. Seacrest yelled, “Buzzer!” and the $2,000 puzzle was thrown out as the studio audience audibly gasped.
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This led to an awkward deliberation where Seacrest turned to the producers, “Can we get the judges on that? She didn’t buzz but gave an answer?” The judges upheld the decision, with Seacrest explaining, “You gotta buzz in.” Jenn replied, “Okay.” Clint finished with $26,150, thus winning the episode, while Jenn finished in a narrow second place with $20,490.
Fans slammed the ruling at the time, arguing Jenn deserved the $2,000 since this was a rare instance where she was the only player left who could answer. “Wheel of Fortune did Jenn dirty,” one viewer wrote on X at the time. Others argued that Sajak would have done the same as rules are rules. However, that apparently isn’t so.
On Monday, a fan took to the WoF Reddit forum sharing a side-by-side video (below) of Seacrest’s ruling and a ruling from Sajak on the April 1, 2024 episode where he ruled a player’s way in the exact same situation.
In that episode, two players similarly whiffed a triple-toss-up, leaving a player named Alicia the only one who could answer it. She correctly solved it as “The Joker Is Wild” without ringing in. Sajak allowed it, telling her, “Alicia didn’t actually ring in. You were the only one left. It’s all fine, all clear. We’re not going to jail or anything.”
The user titled the post, “It seems the changed the rule on whether you have to buzz in if you’re the last remaining player on a Toss-Up.”
Other fans spun to the comments section expressing shock that Seacrest ruled more harshly than Sajak, some pushed for Jenn to be invited back on technicality.
“I’m glad someone posted about this. I had the same thought watching it,” one fan commented.
“Really????? Lame technicality ruling. Common sense would be evident if your the last person in the round there would be no need to buzz. DUH!” wrote another.
“I thought it was really wrong when Ryan said she had to buzz in, not making any new friends doing that,” wrote a third.
“Yeah, when I saw that I said she’s coming back,” wrote a fourth.
It’s unclear if the game show changed the rule for Seacrest’s Season 42 alongside the iconic Vanna White or if the judges decided to stick with his initial call as to not make him look bad. But it certainly bothered already irked fans to see that Sajak did, in fact, allow puzzle solves without ringing in for the only player left.
What do you think of the ruling against Jenn? Do you think Seacrest should ease up on rulings to reflect Sajak doing so in the past? Let us know in the comments section below.
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