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The Price Is Right at Night: Drew Carey says ‘we’re in trouble today’ after meeting contestant

The Price Is Right host Drew Carey during a Superfan, Jr. segment of the game show. Pic credit: CBS
The Price Is Right at Night will feature unique prizes and contestants, including one who surprised the host.

 

In addition to the daytime episodes, Drew Carey hosts the popular game show’s upcoming primetime version, and sneak peeks revealed several contestants.

The night episodes also feature kids participating in the show, referred to as Superfan, Jr. contestants.

Once Drew meets a Superfan, Jr. contestant on stage, he typically asks them what makes them a “Superfan” of the show.

 

In one instance, a boy indicated that the show helps bring his family together, as they record the daytime episodes and watch them each evening.

 

Another contestant really seemed to catch Drew off guard, with the host even suggesting the show was “in trouble.”

Drew has a unique interaction with a Superfan

Most contestants get excited when they get on stage to meet Drew before participating in a pricing game for prizes.

That happened as one contestant fell on the floor after her interaction with the host.

It was also the case with Superfan, Jr. contestant Jacob, who yelled that he felt “awesome” after meeting Drew and hugging him.

The host asked him to explain what “sets him apart” from all the other superfans.

“I’m writing a book about the history of The Price Is Right,” Jacob revealed, seeming to surprise Drew.

Drew mentioned TV host Bill Cullen and asked the superfan if he knew the name of the game show when it initially got pitched.

“Auction-Aire,” he replied, really surprising the host.

“Wow, are you good,” Drew said, shaking Jacob’s hand as the contestant jumped up and down a bit after giving the correct answer.

“George, we’re in trouble today,” Drew told announcer George Gray, adding, “Let’s see what these kids are gonna take from us.”

From there, the sneak peek of the nighttime game show revealed that the superfan would play a popular game: Plinko.

Jacob was super enthusiastic about playing the game, even yelling, “Oh my God!”

George announced he was playing for up to $100,000, and Drew handed him a few chips before the preview ended.

 

Who was Bill Cullen on The Price Is Right?

Bill Cullen, often called the “Dean of Game Shows,” hosted many of them during his career, including the first versions of The Price Is Right.

Drew mentioned Cullen’s importance in The Price Is Right’s history. The game show was pitched as Auction-Aire but was short-lived, ultimately becoming The Price Is Right. Cullen hosted the show’s original daytime and primetime versions from 1956 to 1965.

The game show’s revival, with daytime and nighttime versions, came in the early 1970s, but Cullen couldn’t host.

The popular TV host had various ailments and health issues that affected him throughout his life. Cullen was diagnosed with polio at 18 months old and had a permanent limp. In addition, he had poor eyesight and also suffered lasting effects from a car accident he had at age 17.

In 1972, Cullen couldn’t host the revived Price Is Right because it was too physically demanding for him. The video below gives more details about Cullen.

When Cullen couldn’t host the revived versions, Bob Barker became the revived game show’s daytime host. Barker rose to fame as the game show’s host from 1972 until retiring in 2007. TV personality Dennis James hosted a weekly syndicated version, which became the primetime version.

James hosted that weekly nighttime version from 1972 to 1977 and filled in for Barker during the daytime in 1974.

Cullen passed away in 1990 at age 70 due to complications from lung cancer. During his legendary career, he hosted many shows, including Name That Tune, I’ve Got a Secret, Bank on the Stars, To Tell The Truth, and The $25,000 Pyramid.

Based on Drew’s interaction with the Superfan, Jr. contestant, Drew was pretty impressed that Jacob knew the history of the popular game show, beginning with Cullen.

Fans will see how much the enthusiastic contestant won in Plinko during an upcoming episode of The Price Is Right at Night, which airs in primetime on Thursday, May 23.

The Price Is Right at Night airs Thursday, May 23 at 8/7c on CBS.

Sean Hannity Proposes to Fellow Fox News Host Ainsley Earhardt on Christmas Week

Hannity popped the question at a church in his home state of Florida

Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt . Photo:Fox News Media

Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt are engaged.

After years of quietly dating long distance, Hannity, 62, proposed to Earhardt, 48, over Christmas week at a church in his home state of Florida.

“We are overjoyed and so thankful to our families for all of their love and support during this wonderful time in our lives,” the pair told Fox News.

Ainsley Earhardt and Sean Hannity.Ainsley Earhardt/Instagram

The two added that they had the blessing and support from their children, who “couldn’t be happier.”

Hannity shares two children, Patrick and Merri, with ex-wife Jill Rhodes, whom he wed in 1993 and divorced from in 2019.

Meanwhile, Earhardt has a daughter, Hayden, with ex-husband Will Proctor. The former couple got married in 2012, announced their separation in 2018 and finalized their divorce in 2019. Earhardt, who is based in New York, was also previously married to Kevin McKinney from 2005 to 2009.

The couple told Fox News that they “still get along well” with their ex-spouses and that they “made them aware this was happening ahead of time.”

Hannity and Earhardt said they bonded over their shared religious beliefs, and described the church as “the perfect place” to propose, according to the outlet. They met with their minister shortly after the engagement.

Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt.Roy Rochlin/Getty ; Gary Gershoff/Getty

Back in June 2020, a source in Hannity and Earhardt’s circle told PEOPLE that they had been “been seeing each other very secretively for years,” despite the pair publicly denying so.

“He’s very private because he’s very famous and he’s very controversial,” the source said at the time, “but it’s been an open secret that they have been seeing each other.”

“They’re together all the time, but in private … for years, not just months,” the source continued.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Earhardt hosted her Fox & Friends program from a studio in the basement of Hannity’s Long Island mansion.

In October 2019, Earhardt told PEOPLE she was ready to date again and open to having more kids.

“I would love to find love again and I want to demonstrate a loving relationship for Hayden one day,” she said. “But I’m not sure when that will be. I know that God will put the right man in my life if that’s his will and he’ll do it in his time.”

‘Jeopardy!’ Bosses Reveal Ken Jennings’ ‘Great Quality’ & How He’s Tough on Himself

‘Jeopardy!’ Bosses Reveal Ken Jennings’ ‘Great Quality’ & How He’s Tough on Himself

Jeopardy, Inc!

It’s three years since Ken Jennings stepped up to become Jeopardy! host (along with the since-departed Mayim Bialik) and faced the seemingly impossible task of succeeding the late, much-loved Alex Trebek.

After a period of sharing hosting duties with Bialik, there is no doubt that Jennings has made the job his own. In fact, viewers seem to appreciate the fresh energy he has brought to Jeopardy! It’s a remarkable achievement for someone with little prior TV experience (aside from being the greatest-ever contestant on the very show he now hosts).

There is no doubt that Ken has his quirks, like the way he gets holier-than-thou after a triple-stumper, or his sometimes awkward reaction to things that happen or are said during the show. But Ken offers empathy during the interview segments, witty add-ons to clues, and an unwavering ability to preside over the most fast-paced specials like Jeopardy! Masters. He has proved himself to be the best person for the job, even though show bosses initially chose Mike Richards over him (or perhaps then-EP Richards chose himself) after months of having guest hosts.

That said, viewers can be hard on Jennings, but as it turns out, he’s even harder on himself. Show bosses have been revealing what Ken is like behind the scenes, noting how he will request pickups (re-shoots) even when the production crew think he did a good job.

The revelation was shared on the latest Inside Jeopardy! podcast on Monday, October 28 co-hosted by Executive Producer Michael Davies, longtime producer Sarah Whitcomb Foss, and (now retired) champion Sam Buttrey.

They played a previously unaired audience Q&A in which someone asked Jennings if he felt he had a “perfect show” if he didn’t have to do any re-shoots. The answer was a resounding no.

“I think there have been shows where I don’t do any pickups and it certainly existed for Alex who routinely didn’t have to do any pickups. But I think even in that case I would not be satisfied, you know?” Jennings shared to the audience.

“I’d think ‘agh the interviews could be a little funnier’ or ‘I could have read that clue more crisply.’ I’m a little hard on myself but you guys are seeing how the doughnuts are made, that’s not the expression, how the sausage is made!” he quipped, seemingly doing a mini re-shoot in a meta-style joke (Jennings likely knows the expression).

“Ken is such a mensch,” show boss Davies shared after the clip. “We’ll come to him at the end of a round and say, ‘pick up this, this, and this’ and he will add pickups where he didn’t think that he read it [a clue] to his quality or standard. He’ll add pickups to his own list.”

“He is his toughest critic,” Foss shared. “And often times when we’re like ‘that was great,’ [He’ll say] ‘uh, wasn’t my best,’ he always wants to be better. That’s the great quality in him as a host.”

Earlier this month, fans dedicated a thread in the Jeopardy! Reddit forum to give Jennings some props, as he regularly gets blamed for controversial rulings (which are up to the judges).

It was titled, “Ken Jennings,” and the person posting wrote: “After watching him host for some time now, can’t imagine the host NOT being Ken. (Art Fleming -> Alex Trebek -> Ken Jennings).”

“Agreed,” another fan replied. “I loved Alex as host and consider myself unfathomably fortunate to have gotten to play during his era. But Ken is absolutely killing it, and we’re lucky to have him.”

“Ken is the living embodiment of Jeopardy!” wrote a third. “With the amount of tomfoolery in the search for the next host I’m glad they landed on the right choice.”

Jeopardy!, weeknights, check local listings

‘Jeopardy!’ Bosses Rocked by Ratings Disaster as Viewership Hits New Low

Disney/Christopher Willard

Jeopardy! bosses have been hit by a ratings crash for Celebrity Jeopardy! which hit a new low for last Wednesday’s (January 29) episode on ABC which was watched by fewer than 2 million viewers.

According to Nielsen ratings, the latest episode of the Celeb spinoff, featuring Roy Wood Jr., Brian Jordan Alvarez, and Phoebe Robinson, dropped to 1.84 million viewers and 0.20 in the key 18-49 demo, marking the show’s lowest rating since it debuted in 2022.

Wednesday’s episode was beaten in a head-to-head with CBS’ The Price Is Right At Night, which landed 2.95 million viewers and 0.27 in the 18-49 demo.

The latest Celebrity Jeopardy! numbers were down 40% from the previous week, which did 2.52 million viewers and 0.30 in the key demo, and were also over 40% off the show’s lead-in, Abbott Elementary, which reached a 0.34 demo (and 2.63 million viewers).

Overall, Celebrity Jeopardy! ranked in ninth place on the broadcast networks for the night, tied with Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. In also ranked the lowest of the four game shows on that night, including Hollywood Squares (.30), The Price is Right at Night (.27), and Raid the Cage (.20).

Viewers have taken to the Jeopardy! Reddit forum to discuss the falling ratings, with many offering their opinions on why the Celebrity edition of the long-running game show appears to be struggling.

Roy Wood Jr., Brian Jordan Alvarez, and Phoebe Robinson on Celebrity Jeopardy!; Disney/Christopher Willard

“The questions on CJ are insufferably easy. Sucks the fun out of it,” said one commenter.

“That’s the thing. For me, trying to answer the questions is 80% of the pleasure of watching. If the questions are “This city is the capital of France” then what’s the freaking point?” agreed another.

“No offense to them, but I didn’t know any of the CJ celebrities this week. That definitely doesn’t help,” added another fan.

“My wife and I call it “Unknown Celebrity Jeopardy,”” another quipped. “It is very likely that the pool of actual celebrities that would feel confident on Jeopardy is probably small.”

Celebrities that have appeared so far this season include the likes of Neil deGrasse Tyson, Seth Green, Rachel Brosnahan, Camilla Luddington, Margaret Cho, and Max Greenfield.

Another said, “I think yearly is too frequent for CJ. It should be an event.”

Celebrity Jeopardy! debuted on September 25, 2022, with Mayim Bialik serving as host. Season 2 premiered on September 27, 2023, with Ken Jennings taking over as host after Bialik stepped away in solidarity with the writers’ strike. Bialik was later let go as Jeopardy! host in December 2023, with Jennings becoming the permanent host for both the syndicated edition and specials.

Another Reddit user shared their thoughts, writing, “I may be in the minority here but I hate all the extra banter. Every now and then ok cool. But literally after everything nahhhh I’ll pass on watching it.”

“I am in this same group,” another responded. “I don’t idolize nor care about most celebrities. I don’t want to hear them make jokes and talk about their causes and achievements. I don’t care to see them play Jeopardy, poorly for the most part.”

“Well. Yeah. It sucks. The questions are insanely easy. The contestants are deathly afraid of Daily Doubles. And all they do is go one category at a time, in order. It’s painful to watch,” said one commenter.

Another added, “I think we have reached over saturation of the Jeopardy brand.”

“It was dumb to release Celebrity Jeopardy! and Pop Culture Jeopardy! at the same time. Save one or the other for summer when nothing else is going on,” said another.

Pop Culture! Jeopardy is currently airing on Prime Video, and fans seem to be enjoying it.

“That is what I enjoy about pop culture jeopardy. It feels that the questions are of similar difficulty as regular jeopardy just a different genre of questions,” wrote one Reddit user.

“I’m really enjoying pop culture jeopardy as well. Still some challenging questions,” added another.

Have you been watching Celebrity Jeopardy!? Is there too much Jeopardy!? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Celebrity Jeopardy!, Wednesdays, 9/8c, ABC

‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Execs Want Maggie Sajak As Host, Ryan Out?

Wheel Of Fortune has been in the middle of a lot of change since Ryan Seacrest took over as the host of the game show. However, based on the latest reports making the rounds, it looks like top execs may be looking to replace Ryan with Maggie Sajak. So, what’s the latest on this?

Wheel Of Fortune: Ryan Seacrest Has Had A Tough Adjustment Period

Since Pat Sajak retired from hosting duties and Ryan Seacrest took over at Wheel Of Fortune, it has been a tumultuous adjustment for the American Idol host at his new gig. Sajak hosted the popular program for decades, and viewers got used to his particular way of doing things.

Even before Ryan Seacrest had his first day on the Wheel Of Fortune set, fans were already counting down until he would be out of a job. Insiders even said that Seacrest has been feeling the pressure, especially with such big shoes to fill.
Wheel Of Fortune: Ryan Seacrest/YouTube

Contract Negotiations Leading To Seacrest Axing?

According to the latest reports making the rounds, even though there has been a boost in ratings since Wheel Of Fortune brought on Ryan Seacrest to take over for Pat Sajak, the reality is that he is only under contract for two years.

In the grand scheme of things, this is not very long, especially within the context of how long Wheel Of Fortune has been on the air. If Ryan does not end up extending to a longer contract, this essentially leaves the hosting job up in the air in terms of who would take over in the event that Seacrest decides not to renew for a longer tenure at the helm.
Wheel Of Fortune: Ryan Seacrest/YouTube

Wheel Of Fortune Execs Eyeing Maggie Sajak For Hosting Job?

With Ryan Seacrest not currently under a long-term contract, it seems execs are eyeing Maggie Sajak to potentially take over hosting duties. Game show fans have been wondering about this for some time, with many even suggesting that Maggie take on Vanna White’s duties when she finally decides to retire as well.

Maggie has been part of the show, and she has been around it for a very long time. From a continuity and familiarity standpoint, it certainly seems like a no-brainer, as well as something the top brass is strongly considering.
Wheel Of Fortune: Maggie Sajak/Instagram
An insider recently told The US Sun: “Sony loves the ratings and wants to negotiate a much longer contract for Ryan, but right now they have to have contingency plans in place in case Ryan simply decides to move on.”

The insider added: “Maggie has positioned herself to help out if there’s a hosting vacancy, and the franchise is in her blood and her appreciation for the world of Wheel of Fortune is genuine.”

For all the latest Wheel Of Fortune news, come back again to TV Shows Ace for more.

CBS staff ‘excited and fearful’ for what’s next after Norah O’Donnell’s exit

Exclusive: ‘She’s been hemorrhaging viewers for a long time, and nothing was really working,’ one source told The Independent

Norah O’Donnell signs off from CBS Evening News for the final time, telling viewers it’s ‘been the honor of a lifetime.’ (CBS News)

Norah O’Donnell signed off for the final time as CBS Evening News anchor on Thursday night, ending an era that began in 2019 and saw her become one of the few women to helm a nightly broadcast news show.

CBS staffers told The Independent that they are both “excited and fearful” over a new iteration of CBS Evening News, adding that “nothing was really working” under O’Donnell’s leadership.

The network insiders cited O’Donnell’s “risk-averse” and “middle-of-the-road” approach to stories as a key reason the show wasn’t resonating with viewers. To that point, CBS Evening News pulled in just 4.6 million viewers during the fourth quarter last year, drawing 3 million fewer than ABC’s World News Tonight.

At the same time, network employees pointed out that the 51-year-old journalist is a “beloved figure” within the CBS halls who has always supported her colleagues — especially women.

As O’Donnell moves into a new role as a senior correspondent, CBS Evening News — which has long been stuck in third place in the evening news broadcast ratings — will transition to a two-man team of John Dickerson and Maurice Dubois. The program, which has been based in Washington, D.C., will return to New York, and Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan will serve as its lead correspondent out of Washington.

Norah O’Donnell signs off from CBS Evening News for the final time, telling viewers it’s ‘been the honor of a lifetime.’ (CBS News)

O’Donnell’s emotional farewell on Thursday night was punctuated by the surprise appearance of talk show legend Oprah Winfrey, who praised O’Donnell for the “incredible impact” she’s made throughout her career.

“It has been an incredible five and a half years,” O’Donnell said at the end of Thursday’s broadcast, noting that she was told a “surprise guest” would be appearing to help “look back” at the show’s accomplishments.

Winfrey then appeared on the screen and teed up a montage that included O’Donnell’s interviews with Pope Francis and Vice President Kamala Harris.

“You have so much to be proud of,” Winfrey said. “Your work as the anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News has not only won awards, but more importantly, has made such a difference and informed our nation.”

An emotional O’Donnell turned back to the camera to express her gratitude for her years leading the network’s nightly news broadcast.

“This has been the honor of a lifetime to anchor this legacy broadcast,” she said. “The CBS Evening News, for good reason, is the longest-running evening newscast in America. And it is powered by the finest journalists in the world.”

O’Donnell continued: “The correspondents, producers, researchers and crews who work tirelessly to bring you the news every night — that won’t change because journalism matters. I know that because I’ve heard that from so many of you — our viewers. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for trusting us and welcoming hard news with heart into your homes.”

The CBS Evening News crew then surrounded O’Donnell’s desk and gave her a round of applause as the broadcast began wrapping up. “I will miss you too. So for the final time, that’s tonight’s CBS Evening News. I owe it all to everyone I work with. Seriously. Love you. Good night,” she concluded.

O’Donnell’s goodbye on Thursday night comes months after she announced that she would step down as anchor and managing editor of CBS Evening News “to take on a new position at the network” after the election. She noted then that she would move into a new role as a senior correspondent, which would see her contribute long-form reporting to the network’s news broadcasts and CBS’s award-winning news magazine 60 Minutes.

Taking over the anchor chair from Jeff Glor in 2019, O’Donnell — who previously co-anchored the network’s morning show — could not turn around CBS Evening News’ middling ratings during her five-plus years at the helm. Under her watch, which saw the show move to D.C. to focus more on the national political scene, the broadcast was mired in third place with an average of less than 5 million viewers, well behind ABC News’ David Muir and NBC’s Lester Holt.

Oprah applauded O’Donnell for the “incredible impact” she’s made throughout her career (CBS News)

CBS News staffers told The Independent that while O’Donnell is a “fantastic” person and “great” colleague who has the “goods” to be a successful evening news anchor, the show seemed to suffer because of its “risk-averse” and “middle of the road” approach.

“She’s been hemorrhaging viewers for a long time, and nothing was really working,” one source said. The source added that while her approach was initially well-received, staffers on the show soon began to worry that her interviews lacked hard-hitting questions and were too soft.

At the same time, CBS journalists and staff are “excited and fearful” about the new CBS Evening News program, which will debut on Monday. The show’s new leadership harkens back to 60 Minutes and the network’s previous iterations of CBS Evening News, which was once anchored by current 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley.

“I’m super excited,” one CBS reporter said. “Longer pieces. 60 Minutes sensibility. Respected anchors like John and Maurice. Sign me up!”

A representative for CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Besides Dickerson and Dubois, the program will be supervised by 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens, and 60 Minutes veteran producer Guy Campanile will serve as its executive producer. Respected writer Jerry Cipriano is returning to the network as the show’s senior news editor and senior producer.

Sources pointed out that while staff are thrilled about the potential of working on more in-depth and character-driven stories going forward, they still have concerns about the “cutthroat nature” and demanding work environment that 60 Minutes has long been known for.

Meanwhile, O’Donnell’s departure from the evening broadcast takes place as the entire TV news industry is currently in a state of upheaval amid sinking viewership and dwindling ad revenues as Americans continue to cut the cord and turn to alternative sources for news. Just this week, CNN announced that it was laying off hundreds of employees as it pivots to a digital-centric model.

Her own network is also currently being tasked with cutting millions of dollars in costs as parent company Paramount is slashing the budget and laying off thousands of workers ahead of a planned merger with Skydance Media. That merger may also push Paramount execs to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of 60 Minutes’ interview with Harris.

Even before she exited the anchor’s chair, O’Donnell had seen her salary slashed in half when she signed an extension in 2022. Not only did that indicate she was on borrowed time leading the program, but it also hinted at the coming “haircuts” that other well-paid news personalities would soon be offered to keep their jobs, with many deciding to walk rather than take reduced salaries.

“The God-like days are definitely over for news anchors,” Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communication chair Anthony Adornato told USA Today this week.

Former ‘Today’ Star Hoda Kotb Teases “Fun” New Project With Joanna Gaines

The duo have “something fun cooking,” according to a recent Instagram post.

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Last month, Hoda Kotb left the Today show after tearful goodbyes — leaving fans to wonder what’s next for the former news anchor.

This morning on Instagram, Hoda shared a sneak peek of what’s ahead: a project with Fixer Upper star and interior designer Joanna Gaines. Now, we’re wondering: Can we expect Hoda to flex an interest for interior design with this upcoming collab?

She wrote, “Remember I was talking about repotting — gotta take first steps….We have something fun cooking! Come along on the great adventure…..Stay tunedI love @joannagaines”.

Hoda’s been vocal about her desire to tackle new projects — even citing in October “the idea that somewhere, there was supposed to be a new adventure” as one of her reasons for leaving. The star has been busy creating a wellness app, producing her popular Making Space podcast and reportedly signing a deal as a contributor with NBC.

She referred to this transitional period as her “repotting” era — a time to embrace the unknown and find out what the future holds. “It’s like you’re pulled up by your very roots, your foundation, everything that grounds you, and your roots are in the air and you’re scared. ‘Where am I going to land?’” she said on Today With Hoda & Jenna in October.

As a home editor, I can’t wait to see what Hoda and Joanna are up to — I’m crossing my fingers its design related.

“Let’s go!!! So incredibly proud of you @hodakotb 🥹🌱” Joanna chimed in on the Instagram post, as many fans express their excitement about what the teaser means.

‘Wheel of Fortune’ fans outraged after host Ryan Seacrest ‘robbed’ player with brutal pronunciation ruling

‘Wheel of Fortune’ player Arzice Salonga, a former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader, missed out on $1K

“Wheel of Fortune” fans were upset and disappointed over the actions of host Ryan Seacrest.

Earlier this week, a player named Arzice Salonga – a law student and single mom from Medina, Ohio – missed out on the game’s first toss up round worth $1,000.

The “Wheel of Fortune” category was “Event,” as the two-word puzzle read, “A F _ I _ _ N / _ A _ A _ _.”

While the former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader buzzed in and answered “African Safari,” she was ruled incorrect for her pronunciation of “safari.” Salonga appeared to pronounce the word as “sa-FAIR-ee.”

Another “Wheel of Fortune” contestant, Brian Nelson from Longview, Texas, buzzed in to guess the puzzle with the correct pronunciation, which the game show ruled correct.

Seacrest chimed in and said, “Yes, safari is the way you have to say that,” as Salonga appeared shocked. He added, “I just checked with our judges to make sure.”

Fans were quick to react on social media to the questionable ruling.

“She was robbed IMO [in my opinion],” a fan wrote on Reddit.

One viewer wrote on X, “Cmon, Wheel of Fortune judges. I knew what she meant when she said African ‘Safari’ that way.”

Another fan argued, “Now they know good and well they should have given her ‘Sa-fair-ree’ yes it’s pronounced saFARi but still, slight cultural variation has been considered before.”

Other “Wheel of Fortune” viewers agreed with the show’s ruling.

“Never heard someone mispronounce ‘Safari’ as ‘Sa-fair-ee,’” one user wrote.

Another commented, “I’m gonna go against the grain. Wheel is a show about words. You should pronounce the words correctly to win.”

The brutal “Wheel of Fortune” ruling comes after Seacrest had other bizarre moments on the game show.

Last month, Seacrest was tackled to the ground after an overly excited contestant competed on the beloved game show for the grand prize money.

A Pittsburgh native named Daniel showed how ecstatic he was after an intense bonus round during the episode.

The category was “Living Things,” and Daniel chose the letters H, G, D and O. After being left with G _ _ _ _  E S, the “Wheel of Fortune” contestant beat the buzzer in what viewers were calling an “insane” moment.

Once the player guessed “Guppies,” Daniel jumped up and down with excitement before hugging Seacrest and accidentally knocking him down.

After Seacrest was pushed to the ground, Daniel kept asking the host whether he was OK.

Seacrest assured him, “I’m good, I’m good.”

The “Wheel of Fortune” announcer was heard overhead saying, “Daniel, easy on our host, but celebrate with $40,000,” as the contestant took home the grand prize.

Happy’s Place Episode 12 Almost Fixes Its Biggest Story Issue (But Forgets 1 Ignored Arc)

Warning: Spoilers for Happy’s Place season 1, episode 12

While the show awaits a season 2 renewal, episode 12 of Happy’s Place finally manages to address one of the biggest ongoing problems with the series. “Baby Doll” focuses on Gabby acquiring an AI-powered baby, which grades her on how well she takes care of the fake baby in question. She hands this off to the rest of the bar’s staff, ostensibly because she’s hoping they’ll prove themselves capable of babysitting if she ever needs help as a single mother.

Gabby said she wanted to have a baby in episode 5 and never mentioned it again until now. Isabella is also supposed to be in management training, but that almost never comes up. When it was revealed that Steve was undergoing exposure therapy, that felt like yet another storyline to be dropped. Thanks to “Baby Doll,” it’s now clear that the series has finally settled on taking a direction, albeit with some caveats.

Happy’s Place Finally Revisits Gabby & Steve’s Forgotten Storylines

Gabby’s Baby Was Forgotten For Half The Series

“Baby Doll” was a welcome change in pace when it comes to the show’s tendency to walk away from certain storylines. Fortunately, “Baby Doll” keeps at least two arcs going. Not only does Gabby finally start pursuing her dream of having a baby, but it appears that Steve is also making progress in his OCD exposure therapy. He takes new risks in this episode, and he even talks a bit about how his OCD affects his personal life.

This development has important implications going forward. Steve’s OCD has always been a low-hanging punchline for the series, as was Gabby’s desire to feel needed. In “Baby Doll,” Steve is able to hug a doll despite the bizarre implications that it’s been held against Gabby’s nipples. Gabby also gets an extremely relatable storyline for any parent, revealing that she only asked the bar to raise her fake baby out of fear that she wasn’t good enough to do it on her own.

Why Happy’s Place Needs To Follow Through With Their Storylines To Succeed

Steve Especially Needs This Character Development

From the very beginning, the main story of Happy’s Place seemed focused on Happy’s death and how that affected both Bobbie and Isabella. After just a few episodes, the show pretty much resolved its main conflict by having Isabella forgive Happy just because Gabby found a hat from Isabella’s graduation. The show is still full of mysteries, such as how Isabella graduated from college with a high school 101 knowledge of psychology, but that’s not a mystery the shows is intent on solving.

Gabby’s fears about parenthood are highly relatable, and Steve reveals that he’s worried his OCD will keep him from ever being a parent at all.

What’s most important about this particular episode is that Gabby and Steve both get some long-needed character development for the very first time. Gabby’s fears about parenthood are highly relatable, and Steve reveals that he’s worried his OCD will keep him from ever being a parent at all. The series needs stories like these if it hopes to gain any good will from viewers. Prior to this episode, Gabby and Steve both felt like archetypes. They now feel like fully fleshed-out characters, and that’s exactly what this show needs. Unfortunately, there’s still one major storytelling gap remaining.

Happy’s Place Still Needs To Continue Isabella’s Management Training Narrative

It’s Unclear What She’s Even Doing In This Bar Anymore

Outside of lingering around and bragging about how she’s put zero clinical hours behind her psychology degree, Isabella seems to have no purpose on this show whatsoever. Isabella was supposed to be training as Bobbie’s co-manager, and she was supposed to do that by shadowing everyone else at the bar. There’s been one scene in which she’s chopping vegetables for Emmett since the episode in which she actually shadowed him, but there are otherwise no signs that she’s actually moving forward in her training.

It’s great that the series is finally improving Steve and Gabby, but Isabella is supposed to be the deuteragonist. Having her rotate around the staff is an easy storyline to work around, yet the series has dropped it entirely. If Happy’s Place can’t give the secondary protagonist a coherent storyline, it will likely spell doom for the series. Moreover, the series is missing the chance to explore her dynamic with characters like Steve, who she hasn’t shadowed yet. It’s not only the biggest dropped storyline, but it’s arguably the one that could give the series direction if picked back up.

Kelsea Ballerini makes ‘The Voice’ history with ‘underhanded’ use of Coach Replay

Kelsea Ballerini made “The Voice” history during the season 27 premiere.Trae Patton/NBC

Season 27 of “The Voice” marks Kelsea Ballerini’s debut as a full-time coach — and she’s already making history.

During the Monday, Feb. 3, premiere episode, Ballerini used her “Coach Replay” in a brand new way. Coaches on “The Voice” get only one “Replay” per season, allowing them to recruit a contestant even though they didn’t buzz in and turn their chair around during their blind audition. It’s typically used in situations where none of the coaches turn around. However, Ballerini utilized her “Replay” a bit differently.

The singer-songwriter didn’t hit her buzzer during Dan Kiernan’s performance of “High Hopes” by Panic! At the Disco, but John Legend and Michael Bublé did. As Legend and Bublé tried to convince Kiernan to join their respective teams, Ballerini began to regret her decision.

“I made a mistake. I think you are fantastic,” she told Kiernan before hitting her “Coach Replay” button and throwing her hat in the ring for a chance to be his coach.

Legend pointed out that the “Replay” had “never been used in this way” before.

“Kelsea is the first coach to use the ‘Coach Replay’ to try to steal. It’s … very dirty and underhanded,” Legend joked.

Adam Levine didn’t buzz in for Kiernan, but he did bolster Ballerini’s case by telling him, “I would love to see you with Kelsea.” Kiernan took Levine’s advice and joined the first Team Kelsea in “The Voice” history.

Ballerini rushed on stage to hug Kiernan and apologize for not turning her chair initially.

Dan Kiernan is Team Kelsea on season 27 of “The Voice.”Christine Bartolucci/NBC

“All is forgiven,” Kiernan excitedly replied.

In addition to Kiernan, Ballerini recruited Iris Herrera and Angie Rey onto her team during the season 27 premiere. Herrera returned for redemption after getting zero coaches to turn around during her blind audition for season 26 of “The Voice.”

“That’s what it takes to be in music,” Ballerini said of Herrera taking the coaches’ feedback last season and coming back stronger.

“The Voice” airs on NBC on Mondays at 8 p.m. EST. Episodes are available to stream on Peacock the day after they air.

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