Ryan Seacrest is still a newbie to Wheel of Fortune. Despite being a hosting vet on American Idol, he still makes blunders on the popular game show. In one recent episode, he made a costly mistake that kept one contestant from winning $105,000. Keep reading for all the details.
Wheel of Fortune Replaces Toss-Up Round
Wheel of Fortune debuted a new twist on the opening round of puzzles for Season 44. However, the excitement of the change was overshadowed by announcer Jim Thornton’s shocking firing. But now that the season has started, the focus is back on the game.
Contestants usually compete in individual toss-up puzzles to get some money in the bank. Now they have a chance to win even more money in the rapid-fire “Fortune Frenzy.” The three contestants have 30 seconds to solve as many puzzles as they can. Each correctly solved puzzle is worth $1,000. Contestants can rack up a big lead early. But that doesn’t always help them in the end.
Ryan Seacrest’s Mistake Costs Contestant $105,000
On Wednesday’s episode of Wheel of Fortune, Alicia St. Angelo, from Belmar, New Jersey, played against Anthony Shockley, from Searcy, Arkansas, and Taylor Malloy, from Chicago, Illinois.
Anthony Shockley took an early lead after solving the opening puzzle, “Let’s Get the Ball Rolling.” He increased his lead by solving the “Before & After” puzzle “Protein Shake Your Booty,” bringing his total to $15,050. Taylor Malloy had chances to build her score, but eventually landed on Bankrupt.
But the game wasn’t over yet. Alicia St. Angelo took the lead after using the Express Wedge to solve “You Gotta Go Snorkeling.” She earned a trip to Belize and moved into the lead with $17,273. After several big wins, she headed into the Bonus Round with $30,173. Anthony Shockley finished with $17,050, while Taylor Malloy left with $1,000.
Alicia St. Angelo introduced her husband before the Bonus Round started. The PR worker at the Westminster Dog Show introduced her husband as “Boo’s Daddy,” referring to their Chihuahua named Boo. Ryan Seacrest apparently heard the phrase as “Booze Daddy” and was momentarily confused. The two laughed off the misunderstanding.
However, Alicia St. Angelo failed to solve the final puzzle. The puzzle revealed itself as a phrase beginning “I’M …TING.” With the clock running down, the contestant guessed “I’m Lightning” and then “I’m Yelling,” but the correct answer was “I’m Pivoting,” according to TV Insider.
Alicia St. Angelo missed out on an additional $75,000 because time ran out before she could solve the Bonus Round. She ended up with $30,173 but could have won $105,173. Wheel of Fortune fans found Ryan Seacrest mishearing her dog’s name as “booze” hilarious. However, it may have distracted her from correctly solving the puzzle.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger