Was it too hard to solve a Wheel of Fortune bonus puzzle?That was Ryan Seacrest’s apparent opinion. On the Monday, November 18 broadcast, the relatively new host unexpectedly deviated from his usually objective position to publicly condemn a problem that cost a participant $40,000.
Joey Sweet, a teen program director and devoted follower of Vanna White from Oceanside, California, participated in the bonus round. He bragged about his impressive $16,150 cash score, a vacation to Mexico as a prize, and the useful Wildcard wedge, which came with an extra letter. He joined Seacrest on stage after choosing “Phrase” as his category.
Sweet selected the letter “CDMA” and a “F” as his Wildcard when the three-word puzzle appeared. The puzzle was almost complete, with the exception of the two-letter middle word, which read, “CAR _ED’ ‘_ _’ ‘_AND’.” Sweet started speculating as the 10-second timer sounded. “Cleared In Hand?” he asked, clearly at a loss. He couldn’t make a complete estimate otherwise. The puzzle was revealed as “Carved By Hand” when the timer went off.
The audience groaned as White threw up her hands in disappointment. Seacrest offered his thoughts on the conundrum off of frame, saying, “You were on the right track.” This one is challenging.
As the show returned to Seacrest and Sweet, the host questioned the puzzle’s quality once more as he opened the gold reward card that held the forty thousand dollars. “Hard one,” he said. In reference to the Wildcard wedge, “even with the headstart.” Sweet was a good sport and didn’t express his emotions to the miss. “It’s alright!” he exclaimed.
After Seacrest expressed his opinions for the first time as host, the game show posted the video on YouTube, where viewers commented on whether or not they agreed with him. Many agreed with him and said that it was especially harsh to include “By.”
“If I hadn’t chosen the correct letters, I wouldn’t have received that. It’s a tricky one, one fan commented.
“I was unable to understand. Another remarked, “This was tough,” repeating the host’s remarks.
“Carved by hand,” a third person wrote, “that’s a really tough one, guys, come on.”
“By” is difficult. composed a fourth.
One respondent stated, “I agree with Ryan that ‘by’ is a tough word for the Bonus Round.” “That was a challenging puzzle, and Joey lost out on $40k, which is a small setback, but he’s a great sportsman and can make $16k or more today.”
Seacrest was criticized by other fans, who wrote, “Hard one? That came really close.
After watching Pat Sajak every night for forty years, fans are now warming up to Seacrest as WoF’s new leader. In addition to a round of sausage, viewers were treated to a viral moment during his debut month, which was the highest viewership month for WoF in the previous three years. However, it seems that some things are constant.
Although there have been some dubious bonus problems under Seacrest (“Cashew Milk?”), WoF was filled with extra riddles that fans didn’t like during Sajak’s tenure, particularly in the latter stages. During Season 40, there was the notorious puzzle “Taking a Quick Jog” and the equally questionable “Foamy milk.”
Since the puzzle was classified as “Fun and Games,” the participant who missed it went viral by challenging Sajak. He addressed the previous host directly, saying, “Well, see, I don’t consider jogging fun and games.”
How did you feel about the extra puzzle “Carved By Hand”? Do you share Ryan Seacrest’s opinion? Tell us in the space provided for comments below!
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