‘Wheel of Fortune’ Drama as Ryan Seacrest Calls Out ‘Tough’ Puzzle On-Air (VIDEO)

Was a Wheel of Fortune bonus puzzle too difficult? Ryan Seacrest seemed to think so. In a surprising moment on the Monday, November 18 episode, the relatively new host broke from his typically impartial stance to outwardly criticize a puzzle that cost a contestant $40,000.

The bonus round involved Joey Sweet, program director for teens and longtime Vanna White fan from Oceanside, California. He boasted the high score of $16,150 in cash, a prize trip to Mexico, and the helpful Wildcard wedge, which entailed an additional letter. Selecting “Phrase” as his category, he joined Seacrest center stage.

When the three-word puzzle was displayed, Sweet chose “CDMA” and an “F” as his Wildcard letter. The puzzle read as “CAR _ED’ ‘_ _’ ‘_AND’, “so it was nearly filled out except for the two-letter middle word. The 10-second timer began, and Sweet began guessing. “Cleared In Hand?” he uttered, looking visibly at a loss. Otherwise, he was unable to make a full guess. The timer ran out, and the puzzle was unveiled as “Carved By Hand.”

White threw up her hands in disappointment, and the audience moaned. Out-of-frame, Seacrest shared his opinion on the puzzle, “You were on the right track. This is a tricky one.”

The broadcast cut back to Seacrest and Sweet, and while the host opened the gold prize card containing the $40,000, he once more questioned the quality of the puzzle. “Tough one,” he stated. “Even with the headstart,” referring to the Wildcard wedge. Sweet didn’t share his feelings on the miss and was a good sport. “It’s OK!” he said.

The game show shared the clip on YouTube, where fans shared whether or not they agreed with Seacrest after he shared his thoughts in a first as host. Many sided with him and expressed that the inclusion of “By” was particularly unforgiving.

“I wouldn’t have gotten that unless I picked the right letters. Tricky one indeed,” one fan wrote.

“I couldn’t get it. This was tough,” wrote another also echoing what the host said.

“‘Carved by hand’ that’s a really tough one guys come on,” wrote a third.

“’By’ is tough…” wrote a fourth.

“‘By’ is Tough Word for the Bonus Round, as Ryan said and I agree with him,” wrote a fifth. “That was a tricky puzzle & Joey missed out on $40k that is minor miss, but $16k plus is a good day for him and he’s a great sportsmanship.”

Other fans disagreed with Seacrest, one more writing, “Tough one? That was really close.”

Meanwhile, fans are warming up to Seacrest as WoF’s new frontman after seeing Pat Sajak nightly for four decades. His debut month was the strongest ratings month for WoF in the past three years, and viewers were already treated to a viral moment (and a round of sausage). But apparently, some things never change.

While there have been other questionable bonus puzzles under Seacrest (“Cashew Milk?”), during Sajak’s tenure, especially towards the end, WoF was rife with bonus puzzles that fans disliked. There was the similarly dubious “Foamy milk” during Season 40, and infamously, the puzzle “Taking a Quick Jog.”

In that case, the contestant who missed it went viral by challenging Sajak since the puzzle was categorized as “Fun and Games.” “Well, see, I don’t consider jogging fun and games,” he told the former host to his face.

What did you think of the “Carved By Hand” bonus puzzle? Do you agree with Ryan Seacrest? Let us know in the comments section below!

Wheel of Fortune, Weeknights, Check local listings