When it comes to fan criticisms, Seacrest has been dinged for making a mistake or two, and his timing is a tad delayed when it comes to responding to contestants' letter guesses. But what's now confusing certain viewers is the way the American Idol host reveals the $40,000 Bonus Round prize inside the envelope. As one fan put it on Reddit:

A recent Wheel of Fortune contestant shared what they believe accounts for Ryan Seacrest's success after interacting with him backstage.

The bonus round involved Joey Sweet, program director for teens and longtime Vanna White fan from Oceanside, California. He boasted the high score of $16,150 in cash, a prize trip to Mexico, and the helpful Wildcard wedge, which entailed an additional letter. Selecting “Phrase” as his category, he joined Seacrest center stage.

Wheel of Fortune — one of the best game shows of all time — is firmly in its Ryan Seacrest era, with the host taking over for Pat Sajak when the current season premiered on the 2024 TV schedule. Wheel Watchers were overall complimentary of Seacrest in his new role,

It’s been over two months since Ryan Seacrest took over hosting Wheel of Fortune from the legendary Pat Sajak. During that time, Seacrest has struggled to win over fans of Sajak, who hosted the iconic game show for four decades before retiring earlier this year.