‘Wheel of Fortune’ Host Ryan Seacrest Ripped for Being ‘Lazy’ and Forgetful

Ryan Seacrest may be a world-renowned host, but his most recent stint as host of Wheel of Fortune isn’t exactly winning over fans. Ever since stepping in to fill the vacancy left upon Pat Sajak’s retirement, Wheel of Fortune viewers have been sounding off, slamming Seacrest as “lazy,” forgetful, and “shortcoming.”

The discourse surrounding Seacrest has been ongoing ever since his Sept. 9 debut on the show, but took off on Reddit after one viewer started a thread with the question, “Why did Ryan forget to tell the player to dump the wild card after landing on bankrupt?” That viewer went on to note that ever since he took on hosting duties, Seacrest “has been forgetting to remind the player to dump the wild card after landing on bankrupt… I’m not sure if he’s been forgetting too much or he’s just being lazy to remind the player.”

Other viewers were quick to chime in with other quirks they’ve noticed about Seacrest’s hosting that rub them the wrong way, one person writing, “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 1500 or so.”

Others expressed annoyance over “how he opens the bonus envelope backwards like a piece of paper and he doesn’t read the bonus envelope prize out loud” and “the way he shows the money and the bonus round. He holds the card up against his chest and builds up the suspense, and it’s 40K.” Some said they don’t find Seacrest “nearly as charismatic or funny” as Sajak, while one admitted that Seacrest has “enormous shoes to fill.”

Seacrest’s hosting has been under a magnifying glass, and he has faced scrutiny on numerous occasions. Earlier this month, Wheel viewers criticized Seacrest for not warning a contestant that that the surprise on the back of a contestant’s piece could be a bankrupt panel. He also faced backlash after his failure to properly explain the rules of the Express Round cost a contestant $13,000.

According to insiders, Seacrest is “seriously feeling the pressure” after “everything he tries on the show seems to spark an outcry.” A source told The National Enquirer back in October that Seacrest is “getting the very distinct impression nothing will make them happy short of Pat coming out of retirement and hosting the show again” and “wondering if there’s just no winning this fight.”

Despite his apparent shortcomings, Seacrest’s stint as host has pulled in some massive ratings wins. His hosting debut was the game show’s highest-rated season premiere audience since 2015, and the Season 41 premiere week ending Sept. 15 drew in Wheel’s largest premiere week audience in five years. Meanwhile, not all viewers are so critical, with some applauding the way that he is “enthusiastic and really cheers the contestants on.”