Ryan Seacrest’s quick-witted response to ‘Wheel of Fortune’ player's awkward blunder has fans in stitches
For decades, 'Wheel of Fortune' has seen plenty of jaw-dropping and hilarious moments. With Ryan Seacrest as a host, there is no denying that the show kicked things up a notch. During a recent episode, contestants Will and Whitina found themselves in the hot seat for a puzzle in the "Phrase" category. With six words in the phrase, it was up to Will to figure out what letters were missing in the sentence "_ _ _E _O_ RSE _F A RO_N_ OF A_ P _ A_SE." When Will asked to buy a vowel, he was very confident in what he thought would be the full phrase.
"I'd like to buy a U," he told Seacrest before making a guess. "I'd like to solve the puzzle. 'Give yourself a round of sausage.'" Unfortunately, that was incorrect, and Whitina managed to solve the puzzle with the correct phrase, "Give yourself a round of applause." While the answer made Seacrest happy, he couldn't help but commend Will for his attempt. He exclaimed, "Yeah, that's it," before adding, "Although, Will, I kind of like yours better." He added, "That sounds better than just clapping right now."
The clip quickly exploded on social media, with fans chiming in on X with their reactions. "When hunger takes over," one 'Wheel of Fortune' viewer wrote, echoing the sentiment, another viewer added, “I'm laughing so hard right now. I caught the first wrong word, but I didn't hear sausage." Noting how obvious the puzzle was, a frustrated viewer said in disbelief, "I am sitting here wondering how the hell he got on the show."
Even though the show’s had its fair share of funny flubs over the years, none have gone viral like the “sausage” moment—and fans agree it’s Seacrest’s fresh energy that’s breathing new life into the show. On a Reddit thread title, 'Thoughts on Ryan Seacrest as the New Host of 'Wheel of Fortune,' a Reddit user said, "I have to say is that ryan is pretty damn good. I am so very relieved. Thank u, ABC, for bringing him on. I finally understand it." Echoing the sentiment, another user added, "I love Ryan as the new host! I watch Wheel of Fortune every night if I am able. He has a great personality and makes it fun."
Praising Seacrest's hosting skills, a netizen said, "I love Ryan as host, he brought life to the show and is great with contestants. I stopped watching it because Pat was boring and a jerk, way too into himself. I am loving watching the show again. Thanks, Pat, for retiring. It was long overdue!!!" It's not only the fans who are raving about Seacrest; the numbers are also saying the same thing. According to TV Insider, 'Wheel of Fortune' season 42 marked a 3% jump in viewership from Pat Sajak’s final season. Even more impressive is that Seacrest’s debut week (September 9 to September 15) drew 8.31 M viewers, a 21% increase over the previous year, and is also the show’s strongest premiere week in five years.