'Wheel of Fortune': Problems Brewing Behind the Scenes After Ryan Seacrest Joins, Report Claims

Seacrest was announced as Pat Sajak's replacement on 'Wheel of Fortune' in June 2023.

By Megan Behnke

Just as Ryan Seacrest is making his Wheel of Fortune debut, problems seem to be brewing behind the scenes once again. While the new host has helped boost the game show's ratings to new heights, the energy is quite different on the set of the show. According to sources in the Sept. 30 issue of the National Enquirer, Seacrest is reportedly alienating the crew and enforcing a strict NDA.

"Ryan is the most private celebrity and only shows the public what he wants them to see," shared an insider. "His image is carefully curated, and no detail is too small for him to control. You don't achieve Ryan's level of success without being a bit of a control freak!" Seacrest isn't a stranger to hosting gigs, with his radio show, American Idol, Live! with Kelly and Ryan, New Year's Rockin' Eve, E! News, and plenty more. Whether or not this is true, it wouldn't be surprising as NDAs are common practice to keep things more tight-lipped. However, that doesn't seem to be helping Seacrest and his new colleagues.

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"Ryan is anxious about this new role," a source close to Seacrest said. "He wants everything to go perfectly and is just protecting himself. He's very smart, but it's making him feel more distant from the crew!" Considering there have already been reports that he and Vanna White aren't getting along, problems arising with the crew as well is not a good look if it is true. Again, it might just take some time to get used to Seacrest as host, but it doesn't sound like things are going good.

The current season of Wheel of Fortune has been filming since the summer, with promos starting even before then. Now that the season is finally airing, it's possible that the NDAs could be a bit more loose. It just seems like Ryan Seacrest wants to be a good host since Wheel of Fortune has been around for so long, and he has some pretty big shoes to fill. That doesn't necessarily mean what he might be doing isn't wrong, but one can only hope that he isn't getting on the crew's bad sides, especially if he's sticking around for a while. It's a learning game for everyone on the series without Pat Sajak, and who knows how long it will take before things start feeling like somewhat normal. 

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