Credit: (Screenshot), Wheel Of Fortune, via YouTube

It’s been two months since Ryan Seacrest took over hosting Wheel of Fortune from Pat Sajak, who had hosted the beloved game show for 43 years before his retirement. While Seacrest has managed to win over some fans, many others are struggling to get used to him as a host.

Seacrest Accused Of Not Being Able To Read

Now, things have gotten even worse for Seacrest. Indeed, fans are accusing him of not even being able to read after noticing that he never verbally announces the prize amount for the final puzzle of the night. Instead, Seacrest simply opens the envelope. He then shows it to the contestant and the home audience, letting them read it for themselves.

“He just flips the gold envelope open, looks down at it, and then at the contestant,” one fan wrote on the social media site Reddit. “So you can see that the puzzle was worth $40,000 BUT HE NEVER says the dollar amount of the prize out loud.”

“He doesn’t actually read it off the card and say the number that is written,” the fan continued. “He just shows the audience and cameras the card. 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.”

This has led this Wheel of Fortune fan to question if Seacrest can actually read.

“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?” the fan concluded. “Again, no snark or insult intended, but has anyone else noticed that he never reads the gold card prize amount for the bonus round at the end of the episode?”

Other Fans Respond

Some fans were quick to defend Seacrest in the comments section of this thread.

“Ryan can read numbers,” one person wrote. “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!”

“Funny enough I was just telling my friend how much I like how Ryan announced the wheel numbers. I find it very grounding and relaxing,” another pro-Seacrest viewer added. “And isn’t announcing the final prize number pretty much deferred to the announcer?”

Realistically, it may be that Seacrest’s method is to try to build tension and surprise with the audience.

Fans Air Seacrest Grievances

Others, however, took the opportunity to air their grievances over Seacrest’s hosting skills.

“I just don’t like his delivery. Like ‘TWO THOUSAND dollars,’” one person commented. “He enunciates like a DJ.”

“It bugs me that he stands there with his hands in his pockets, like he’s bored,” someone else wrote. Another fan agreed, adding, “It’s the short & slim fit suits I don’t understand. Isn’t he almost 50?”

Clearly, Seacrest still has his work cut out for him in winning over much of the Wheel of Fortune audience. After all, Sajak and Vanna White hosted together for over forty years. It’s understandable that it’s taking time for many fans to adjust to Seacrest.

Only time will tell if Seacrest will end up being able to earn the support of the majority of the loyal Wheel of Fortune audience!