WHEEL of Fortune’s Ryan Seacrest is finding his footing, but fans have called out the new host for a distracting habit regarding his hands.

Nit-picky viewers noticed the pattern on Wednesday night during Ryan‘s third-ever episode as the official replacement for Pat Sajak, 77.

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Ryan’s era on Wheel of Fortune alongside Vanna White, 66, is now in full spin.

The latest contestants were newlywed Jennifer, New Yorker Samantha, and proud father-of-one Jose.

However, fans noticed that as he got to know the players (sans cue cards) during the interviews and throughout the game, Ryan kept his hands in his suit pockets.

Fans took to X calling out the tendency, some saying he was “trying too hard” to seem “relaxed.”

‘WHATS WITH THE HANDS IN POCKETS?’

“Get your hands out of your pockets, Ryan,” one X user wrote during tonight’s episode.

“The set sucks. And what’s this with his hands in his pockets???” wrote another.

“I don’t like Seacrest yet…he’s annoying the s** outta me right now!” wrote a third.

“I get this isn’t a newscast or something serious but I also didn’t like how relaxed Ryan was,” wrote a fourth.

“It almost like he trying hard to come off as, ‘See? I’m not nervous’. At the beginning of the round, Ryan had his hands in his pockets and was leaning against the ledge.

“The only time Pat had his hands in his pockets was during the credits and the only time Pat leaned against the ledge was for comedic effect.”

FIRST BIG WINNER!

Samantha won the game proceeded to the bonus round puzzle.

Selecting “Food,” as the category, Ryan reverted to putting his hands in his pockets once more.

Nonetheless, she aced the puzzle as “Lowfat Yogurt,” bursting into celebration – it was Ryan’s first-ever bonus round win and she won her $77,000 in cash and prizes.

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WHEEL EYESORE

Meanwhile, the reviews are in, and fans have mostly embraced Ryan as host.

Forgoing cue cards and, at times, coming off as a little stiff to some fans, he’s gotten many positive reviews – no easy feat.

As one Redditor put it: “Ryan’s good! He brings a lot of energy and vibes into the show. I just don’t like the fact that he always looks like he’s about to rip the bonus envelope in half.”

Most fan ire has been directed less at the new host than the jarring new set.

The bright blue and yellow, ever-rotating background and reflective floor have caused a stir across social media, many fans struggling to watch.

“Ryan Seacrest is doing an o.k. job, but I really hate Wheel of Fortune’s new set.

“It looks cheap and cheesy. #WheelOfFortune The new set looks ridiculous. Go back to the old set.

“Ryan is doing very well. However, the set is horribly distracting. It’s too hard to focus on the puzzle. I believe I’ve just watched my last WOF,” one Instagram user wrote.

“Way too bright!” said another.

Additionally, the new camera set up for toss-up puzzles shows separate panels of each contestant at the bottom of the screen.

In previous episodes, the players were showcased at the top.

Another viewer shared on a Wheel of Fortune Reddit forum: “Ryan is okay but I hate the new set.”

“Also hate them showing the contestants at [the] bottom during the toss ups. It’s a distraction. I just want to see the puzzle! Why do they always feel like they need to change things just [because] there’s a new host.”

“The three box was nauseating,” another comment read. “Let the viewer focus on the puzzle!”

Another talking point is the “glitchy” new puzzle board, which fans have noticed has a delay when Vanna presses the letters.

“Hey Wheel of Fortune: maybe reboot the puzzle board? It’s so laggy,” another social media user wrote.

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RYAN SNUBS SAJAK

The critiques of the set come after Ryan’s grand debut as host on Monday night.

Ryan shared a moving message addressing viewers, but there was a surprising footnote- he decidedly failed to name Pat Sajak.

In his opening words, Ryan did not mention Pat, 77, who stepped down as WoF’s host last June, after a run that lasted over 40 years.

After Ryan and Vanna were introduced, Ryan shared his thoughts on the milestone moment.

“I still can’t believe my luck of being here with you tonight to continue this legacy of this incredible show with all of you. And of course, my good friend Vanna White.”

During the monologue, Ryan described hosting WoF as “a dream job”, adding, “I’ve been a fan of this show since I was a kid watching it in Atlanta with my family.

“And I just know how special it is that ‘Wheel’ has been in your living rooms for the past 40 years,” the American Idol star said. “And I’m just so grateful to be invited in.”

Ryan Seacrest’s Current Jobs

Ryan Seacrest is quite the workaholic, with the Hollywood multiphenate juggling perhaps more ongoing jobs than any other A-lister:

• -Host of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC
• -Host of American Top 40 on KIIS-FM
• -Host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest on KIIS-FM
• -Host of American Idol since its very first season in 2001
• -Host of Wheel of Fortune as of 2024

Ryan has exited many previous roles in the past few years to get where he is today, including as an executive producer of Hulu’s The Kardashians and co-host of Live! with Kelly and Mark.

Hard work pays off; according to Celebrity Net Worth, Ryan’s worth a fortune of $450 million

While noting that he had “some very big shoes to fill,” Ryan didn’t acknowledge Pat by his name.

“That’s all he could say he has big shoes to fill?” one Instagram user reacted. “Couldn’t mention Pat’s name and thank him for all the years making wheel what it is? That’s a slap in the face.”

Wheel of Fortune airs weeknights at 7:30 p.m. Eastern – check your local listings.

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