Ryan Seacrest is holding his own on Wheel of Fortune, but the host’s first-ever confetti-ensuing win saw the wheels come off according to fans.
Cody Hunger emerged victorious on Friday, October 4’s episode, winning the week-long BetMGM Big Winners Tournament. With $27,150 in cash and a prize trip to Atlantic City, he went to the bonus round, choosing the category “Phrase.”
With a $94,900 jackpot at stake given the (slightly confusing) format of the special, he spun the wheel to see what a lucky viewer at home could also win. The four-word puzzle showed and he chose the additional letters of “C, D, Y, O,” or his first name as a good luck charm.
When the 10-second timer began, Cody immediately solved it correctly as “Out of The Way.” However, not so immediate was Seacrest’s reaction.
After Cody’s correct solve, and even though Vanna White broke into a gigantic grin and began clapping at the puzzle board, Seacrest took a beat and didn’t say he solved the puzzle.
Cody prepared to keep guessing, a jarring juxtaposition to a celebratory Vanna. After multiple seconds of deafening silence, Seacrest chimed in to confirm he’d won.
“Cody? That’s it,” Seacrest said to a suddenly elated Cody who threw his head back in relief. The camera cut back to the puzzle board and the completed puzzle was finally displayed.
“You got it! Congratulations,” Seacrest added as confetti burst, repeating (but not elaborating): “You got it, congratulations!” Cody was swarmed by his confetti-covered buddies as his near-$100,000 haul was displayed and a viewer at home also won $40,000.
Fans took to a Reddit thread discussing Seacrest’s pause, puzzled if he was intentionally building suspense or had made a legitimate error. Either way, Pat Sajak never left a winner hanging like that, and many felt it noticeably botched the proceedings.
“How about that pause,” the thread was titled. The OP added: “What a nightmare for the guy as he had to wait for Ryan to wake up and tell him he got the puzzle.”
“Vanna was clapping as soon as he said it! I came here just to see the reactions,” another fan wrote.
“Lol I love Ryan but that’s his first blooper hahaha,” remarked a third.
“The pause was robotic. Didn’t even say what he had won with the solve,” wrote a fourth.
“The pause, I believe, is due to the producers wanting to build up drama,” speculated a fifth. “It’s happened a few times now with Ryan. Not a fan of the way the show’s being produced since he’s taken over the lead. Jusss Saying… It was quite awkward.”
“The confetti drop was sad,” lamented a sixth.
“I think because Vanna reacted so quickly it caught my attention so there seemed to be a delay to hearing it was right,” argued one more. “I don’t think it was for a reaction.
They added: “I think he goofed!”
Related‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Steamed Over ‘Unfair’ Bonus Puzzle
Meanwhile, Seacrest is doing just fine overall as WoF’s new frontman, replacing Sajak who hosted for four decades. He’s held ratings steady; raking in the strongest week in five years for the Season 42 debut.
That said, last week viewers called out the show for an “unfair” bonus puzzle (Cashew Milk?). And Seacrest set an interesting tone when he opened his very first episode with a lengthy monologue that decidedly had no mention of his predecessor.
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