Ryan Seacrest was all smiles on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ — until one contestant’s secret caught him off guard
When it was announced that Ryan Seacrest would replace veteran host Pat Sajak in 'Wheel of Fortune,' the stakes were high. However, with his charm and supportive hosting style, Seacrest slowly but steadily made a place for himself. Throughout most of the show, Seacrest is seen encouraging contestants—but there was one rare moment when a player's secret completely caught him off guard, and we can understand why.
An art teacher and owner of a local artist studio from Westerville, Ohio, Janine Crum shared some surprising information with the host early on. The contestant revealed an unexpected connection to Seacrest's other longtime show, 'American Idol,' saying, "I almost auditioned for American Idol but chickened out." The moment took him completely by surprise, but the game still went on. Crum competed against Josh Crowell from Dubuque, Iowa, and DeShannon March from Huntsville, Alabama, per TV Insider. The game began tightly matched—after the first round, Crowell led slightly with $3,250, followed closely by March at $3,100 and Crum with $3,000.
However, things took a turn in the Express Round, where the art teacher surged ahead and ultimately ended the episode with a huge $31,948—far ahead of Crowell's $5,250 and March's $5,100. She then advanced to the Bonus Round and selected the Phrase category. Before tackling the puzzle, Crum introduced someone special in the audience, saying, "Tonight is her birthday," referring to her mom, Barb, who joined her on set. Seacrest responded playfully, "I can read Barb's body language; she would love to go to Japan with you."
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After choosing the letters C, D, M, and O, Crum faced the board, “_ _ _ C _ / _ _ E S T _ O N / _ O R / _ O _.” Thanks to her strong gameplay earlier, Crum was able to solve the puzzle: "Quick Question For You." Seacrest then opened the prize envelope and announced, "You just added $40,000 to your winnings!" That brought the player's total to $71,948 in cash plus a trip to Japan. As the celebration unfolded, Crum's mom, who was in the audience, rushed onstage. The heartwarming celebration became a teary-eyed affair, as Barb ran over to celebrate with her daughter.
Reportedly, it didn’t take long for Ryan Seacrest to make his mark on 'Wheel of Fortune.' The show became the most-watched entertainment series in September across broadcast, cable, and syndication, according to Nielsen data (per Variety). Averaging 7.99 million viewers between September 9 and October 6, 2024, the game show outperformed all other entertainment programs on linear TV, making it clear that Seacrest's hosting style is loved by the audience.
When factoring in news shows, only '60 Minutes' had higher viewership, drawing 8.98 million viewers. Remarkably, Seacrest’s debut boosted 'Wheel of Fortune' to its best premiere month audience in three years, with viewership up 12% from last year. According to Sony Pictures TV, the show reached 40 million total viewers in its premiere month and also saw a 3% increase in the key adults 25-54 viewer group, compared to the previous year.