‘Wheel of Fortune’ Fans Debate Ryan Seacrest’s Major Hosting Mistake

Wheel of Fortune/YouTube

Does Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest have an obligation to remind contestants about Wild Card rules? Some fans think so.

In a May 20 Reddit post, user pink_faerie_kitten said Seacrest is “mostly” great — what high praise! — but observed the host “hardly ever reminds contestants with a [Wild Card] that they can exchange it for another letter call when they land on a sparkly wedge.”

That user cited that day’s episode, in which contestant Chad Benner, a minister and deejay from Wheelersburg, Ohio, went bankrupt during the Mystery Round.

“Chad had a [Wild Card], then landed on $3,500, called a ‘J,’ and spun without Ryan telling him,” pink_faerie_kitten he wrote. “He landed on $3,500 again, called an ‘R’ and got two. And again Ryan said nothing! He spun without Ryan ever reminding him that he could’ve given up the [Wild Card] for another guess. Instead, he landed on bankrupt.”

They added: “I know it would be nice if contestants remembered on their own, but it’s [a rare enough] event to have a [Wild Card] and land on a sparkly wedge that I think the host should remind them. I think Ryan has only reminded one person this whole season.”

Wheel of Fortune/YouTube

In the comments on that thread, however, Reddit user mel34760 cast a dissenting vote, saying they hated when former host Pat Sajak would remind contestants about using the wild card to guess another letter. “Unless you are far behind and need to catch up, that wild card is far more valuable in the Bonus Round,” mel34760 argued. (In the Bonus Round, a contestant can trade the Wild Card for a fourth consonant guess.)

But Reddit user StruckNever theorized that Wheel of Fortune producers urged Sajak to offer that reminder “in case the contestant made it to the bonus round.” (Perhaps budget-conscious producers didn’t want the contestants having greater odds of solving the Bonus Round puzzles and winning a jackpot?)

In response to mel34760’s comment, pink_faerie_kitten wrote, “But now Chad hit bankrupt and lost the [Wild Card] anyway. So it’s worth it for more money. It was sad seeing him make the Bonus Round without the [Wild Card] and without the extra he could have potentially won. (He lost over ten grand, plus the home wedge. But if he’d known he didn’t need to spin again for one guess, he might’ve figured it out.)”

What do you think, Wheel fans? Should Seacrest remind contestants of their Wild Card options? Or should he keep quiet in hopes that the contestants keep the Wild Cards for the Bonus Round? Give your take in the comments below.