‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Fans Express Anger With Ryan Seacrest’s Debut

Wheel of Fortune season 42 kicked off on September 9, with Ryan Seacrest making his debut as the show host. The 49-year-old finally got to perform as Pat Sajak’s replacement months after his gig was announced, and fans have expressed strong opinions about his first day at work.

Ryan graced the show stage in a dapper suit and white shirt alongside his co-host, Vanna White, who wore a floor-length one-shoulder blue dress and a big smile to open the new season. He gushed about how lucky he was to be there amid the opposition online, which has clearly not stopped.

Fans complain about Ryan Seacrest’s ‘Wheel of Fortune’ hosting debut

After the episode, viewers took to social media to express their thoughts about Ryan’s first day, and it seems the TV personality still has many hearts to win over. A disappointed user called the first episode the worst day of his life, noting that they hated having to deal with a “Pat Sajak-less ‘Wheel Of Fortune.’”

Another was more specific about the problem and complained about Ryan’s lack of personality, to which someone else agreed, calling him “boring and flavorless.” “I’m so f–kin old I just turned on Wheel of Fortune, and it’s Ryan Seacrest’s first episode hosting, and I am so sad that Pat Sajak is gone,” someone else lamented.

Ryan Seacrest gets some first-day applause despite general disappointment

With the criticism being hurled at Ryan since his debut, there was some encouragement to balance it out as some viewers deemed him impressive. “I have to say I’m really liking Ryan Seacrest as host of Wheel of Fortune, can’t wait to watch him every night!!!!!” someone exclaimed on X.

A user named Anthony also commended the smooth hand-off but advised production to keep the camera longer on the actual puzzles than on the contestants. “I just got done watching Ryan Seacrest’s first episode of Wheel of Fortune, recorded on my DVR. I thought he did pretty good,” another quipped.