'Wheel of Fortune' Fans Cast Blame on Ryan Seacrest After Contestant's Loss

While many Wheel of Fortune fans were devastated when longtime host Pat Sajak retired this summer, others remained optimistic that his replacement, Ryan Seacrest , would be a success. However, his first week at the helm of the game show has been met with criticism, with some viewers saying he might have cost one contestant her chance to win $1 million.

On the Tuesday, September 10 episode of Wheel , player Airica Boyle from Taylor, Michigan, picked up the $1 million wedge in the first round of the game—which could have been traded in during the Bonus Round for the opportunity to win big.

Unfortunately, as TV Insider reported, Boyle lost the wedge in the next round, and some viewers think it's because Seacrest didn't explain the rules thoroughly enough to her.

After Boyle landed on a $10,000 mystery wedge, she chose a "T," which appeared twice in the puzzle.

"So Airica, those two Ts are worth $2,000. You could keep those or you could risk them by seeing what’s on the other side. It could be a Bankrupt or it could be $10,000," Seacrest said, neglecting to mention that if the mystery wedge did reveal a Bankrupt, she would have to give back the $1 million wedge—and that's exactly what happened.

“Sorry about that," said Seacrest as he took the wedges.

Related: Fans Are Divided Over Ryan Seacrest's 'Wheel of Fortune' Debut Episode

There are no guarantees in the game, but fans on social media felt Seacrest didn't handle the situation well.

"Pat would've explained that if she took the risk she would've lost the million dollar wedge," wrote one X user.

"Pat would always remind the contestants if they look under the $10,000 they could lose their $1 million wedge. Ryan needs to do this too…" agreed a second commenter .

"Seacrest is doing okay but he’s yelling a lot. He didn’t help the poor woman reminding her she had a million on a mystery wedge. The rhythm is a tad off hopefully these will improve," posted someone else.

Not everybody felt like Seacrest was to blame, however.

"Contestants are briefed with complete rules before taping begins, and since we all know how it works, they're edited out in post to make room for more gameplay," another person pointed out.

Next: Fans Express Honest Thoughts About 'Wheel of Fortune's New Set