Wheel of Fortune returned for its 42nd season with Ryan. His game show debut caused much chatter as folks were deciding how they felt about him, the new set design and a slip of tongue by one of the contestants that was overlooked had fans up in arms. Die-hard fans were vexed by the technical blunder while others were simply baffled. The mix-up happened during the show's third puzzle under the food and drink category.
Contestant Terry Watson had mispronounced the puzzle which was "Vine-ripened tomatoes". But despite that mispronunciation which fans noticed, Ryan seemed to accept the response and granted Terry the win.
Fans took to social media to discuss the mistake especially when mispronunciations have cost other contestants the game before. One fan expressed their disbelief: "Omg guy pronounced the word wrong on wheel of fortune and they let it slide. First time" A second fan asked: "Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure I heard 'vine-ripening tomatoes' instead of 'vine-ripened tomatoes' during the first Wheel of Fortune episode of the season".
Another tweet echoed that sentiment, "Vine Riping Tomatoes? WTF," while yet another viewer sought validation, "It sure sounded like Terry said 'Vine ripening tomatoes' Am I wrong?"
Flub or no flub, The North Carolina snatched the win, earning a vacation to Italy and dashed off to the Bonus round at the end. While he didn't bag the additional prize money of $40,000, he still ended the night with a whopping total of $25,849. He also won a Mexican getaway.
In the beginning of the episode, the American Idol host had a special message for his very first episode. He said he couldn't "believe his luck" as he carries on "this legacy of this incredible show" with the fans and letter-turner and friend Vanna White. He called Wheel of Fortune his "dream job" and reminisced how he watched the show as a child. He also acknowledged he "got some very big shoes to fill."
This comes as Pat Sajak left the puzzle show after more than four decades. He first announced season 41 was going to be his last season June of 2023 on X formerly Twitter. Ryan was announced to be replacement that same month. The longtime host last episode on Wheel of Fortune aired June 7. Fan can still watch his final hosting happening for this fall season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. Pat is also going to stay as an consultant on the show for three years following his final season.
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