Wheel of Fortune viewers are warming up to Ryan Seacrest.
Ryan took over Pat Sajak’s former hosting position in September 2024, and since then, he’s received mixed reviews from Wheel of Fortune viewers.
Some longtime fans of the show expressed skepticism and weren’t sure Ryan could hack it.
But now that he’s given Wheel watchers a taste of his hosting abilities, he’s beginning to grow on them.
On Reddit, one Wheel of Fortune fan posted a thread discussing what they miss most about Pat Sajak as the game show’s host.
In their submission, the Redditor began by stating that Ryan has been a “great” replacement for Pat.
Still, they listed the attributes they miss most about Pat, namely his iconic one-liners.
Other Wheel of Fortune viewers offered feedback in the comments section, which was mixed.
Wheel of Fortune viewers prefer Ryan Seacrest to Pat Sajak
Quite a few commenters voiced that they are enjoying seeing Ryan on the stage despite some of the harsh criticism he’s received.
One Redditor admitted that Ryan is “easier to watch” than Pat, given his “very positive and light tone and manner.”
“Pat had a downer darker vibe,” their comment continued. “You could tell he was done with the show for the last 10 years.”
Another Redditor shared the sentiment, writing, “I don’t miss anything about Pat, but there is an adjustment period with Ryan I didn’t anticipate.”
Redditer user u/paytheperabo, continued, calling the way Ryan phrases things “odd.”
One of Ryan’s supporters added that his “shtick is growing on” them, mentioning his impromptu breakdance performance during a December 2024 episode.
“I sure did like Ryan’s break dancing,” added u/Alert-Championship66. “You’d never see Pat doing THAT.”
Other commenters wrote they “love” Ryan and said he’s doing a “great job.”
Pat Sajak’s loyal fanbase is still alive and well
Among the support for Ryan were plenty more comments from loyal Pat Sajak fans.
The consensus was that Wheel of Fortune viewers miss Pat’s “wry” and “dry” sense of humor and his “corny” jokes the most.
Will Ryan lock into a long-term Wheel of Fortune contract?
Ryan is only several months into his latest hosting position, but Wheel of Fortune executives are already looking to lock him into a long-term contract.
According to a source who spoke with Closer Weekly, as Monsters and Critics previously reported, Ryan is “driving his bosses crazy.”
Apparently, Ryan doesn’t want to give up any of his other jobs, including hosting American Idol, Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, and On Air with Ryan Seacrest.
But Wheel of Fortune executives reportedly want him to focus exclusively on hosting Wheel of Fortune.
The show’s decision-makers are concerned they may lose Ryan as a host and want him to “scale down his other endeavors” so they can “tie him up in a binding contract.”
Wheel of Fortune’s bigwigs see Ryan as the show’s future, but Ryan wants “freedom and control and refuses to be pigeon-holed, and his obstinate stance is driving bosses crazy.”