A new era has dawned on one of the best game shows of all time, as Ryan Seacrest made his official debut as the new host of Wheel of Fortune on September 9. Season 42 premiered on the 2024 TV schedule on Monday as the first without Pat Sajak, who retired at the end of the previous season. As expected, Wheel watchers had some strong opinions about the big changes made since June, but surprisingly, the new host wasn’t the viewers’ primary point of contention.
Ever since Ryan Seacrest was announced as the successor to one of the greatest game show hosts ever in Pat Sajak, fans haven’t been able to hold back their strong opinions — whether that was enthusiasm for what the American Idol host would bring to Wheel of Fortune or dread for the inevitable changes. That didn’t change September 9, but as people took to social media with their thoughts on Seacrest’s debut, it wasn’t the host who was the target of their complaints — it was the new set. As one fan wrote on X (Twitter):
This new set is going to take more getting used to more than Ryan 😭 Everything is so computer generated and bright.
In fact, a lot of fans had similar thoughts, posting positive messages about Ryan Seacrest on his first night on Wheel of Fortune, but expressing frustration with the bright, overstimulating set. Other posts included:
- I like that Ryan is hosting Wheel of Fortune but I hate the other changes they made to the show. – Megz_Friedos
- I get that Wheel of Fortune replaced Pat Sajak because he retired, but why did they have to change the entire set?! – SimchaG
- Well, Wheel of Fortune is fucking DONE. The new set sucks… I thought I’d hate Ryan Seacrest but he is actually the least offensive thing about this show. – Syd_Lexia
- The show's off to a great start, but the set is very much giving "Early Test Pilot" vibes. – hbsacramento
- I BEYOND LOVED Pat, he was perfection‼️ To my happy relief, I have to say that Ryan is doing a good job on his first night! Don’t at all like the new set and the graphics of putting the contestants faces under the puzzle. Of course love that Vanna’s still here‼️ – keepingtotruth
- Ok love Ryan Seacrest …HATE the new set 🤦🏻♀️😢 Wheel of Fortune, bring back the old set bc this ain’t it. – sherryjohnston
There were rumors during Wheel of Fortune’s offseason that Ryan Seacrest’s height was causing issues with the new set design, as he is 2 inches shorter than Pat Sajak. However, that didn’t seem to be the cause of fans’ concerns Monday. Some wished small changes could have been made over time after the hosting switch, rather than shocking viewers who have sensory issues.
Of course, Ryan Seacrest didn’t win over everybody, but overall it seemed like fans could finally breathe a huge sigh of relief after seeing what Wheel of Fortune’s future looks like. While the set design may be here to stay, I imagine for Seacrest things will only get better from here, as he gets more comfortable. That goes for fans too.
