Wheel of Fortune fans question if Ryan Seacrest can ‘read’ after spotting habit

Wheel of Fortune fans have been tuning in week after week to watch Ryan Seacrest take on the role of host, but one viewer has been left questioning his ability

Ryan Seacrest, the new host of Wheel of Fortune, has been under scrutiny by fans for his handling of the show’s bonus rounds.

Some fans are wondering if Ryan Seacrest has trouble reading (Image: Youtube Screengrab)

While some viewers have praised Seacrest for finding his rhythm after initial hiccups, others remain divided over his performance in a role long held by Pat Sajak. Some fans believe Seacrest is still making too many errors, including allowing contestants to get away with mispronounced answers. His different mannerisms from Sajak have also been noted, leading some to question his suitability for the job of Wheel of Fortune host.

One fan took to Reddit to express their concerns, noting a peculiar habit during the show’s bonus rounds. They questioned if Seacrest was able to “read,” as he never verbally announces the prize amount for the final puzzle of the night.

Instead, he simply opens the envelope and shows it to the contestant and the cameras for the home audience. “He just flips the gold envelope open, looks down at it, and then at the contestant. So you can see that the puzzle was worth $40,000 BUT HE NEVER says the dollar amount of the prize out loud,” they wrote.

Ryan Seacrest has had the guests read their prize amounts (Image: Youtube Screengrab)
He doesn’t actually read it off the card and say the number that is written. He just shows the audience and cameras the card, reports the Express US.

I find it super awkward because he’ll start to say the puzzle was worth, but then just flips the card open and goes silent without stating the prize number. “At first I thought it was just him getting acclimated to the gig, but I’m starting to wonder if maybe he just can’t read numbers? ” they questioned.

However, others quickly jumped to Seacrest’s defense, pointing out he easily read numbers off the wheel the rest of the episode, and also sharing that he isn’t the only one who did it, as Sajak never read the prizes off the cards either. “He says every number that comes up on the wheel,” one wrote.

“Ryan can read numbers. He reads them all the time off the wheel and when he reads everyone’s final winnings before the bonus round. So he is not numerically illiterate! ” another commented. “Do you even watch the show? If you don’t like Ryan fine…but at least back your criticism up with substance. Saying he can’t read numbers is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard.”

“Did Pat ever read the prize amount? ” another asked. “I don’t recall him ever reading them out loud either,” another said. “Pat never said the number of the final either, did he? He just showed it to the camera and contestant,” one other user wrote.