Wheel of Fortune fans grow suspicious: Have bankrupts risen since Ryan Seacrest’s debut?

ryan seacrest at the LA County Museum of ArtCould Ryan Seacrest bad luck for Wheel of Fortune contestants? Pic credit: ©ImageCollect.com/Byron Purvis/AdMedia
Wheel of Fortune fans have found a peculiar coincidence between Ryan Seacrest’s hosting debut and the contestants’ bad fortune.

Ryan first appeared as the host of Wheel of Fortune on September 9, 2024.

Since then, Wheel watchers have been paying close attention to Ryan, who is filling some big shoes as Pat Sajak‘s successor.

Longtime Wheel of Fortune fans expressed uncertainty ahead of Ryan taking over Pat’s position.

Ryan has grown on his skeptics, and for those who doubted whether he would do a good job, his ratings speak for themselves.

However, there’s something else that Wheel of Fortune viewers can’t help but wonder: Is Ryan responsible for the apparent increase in bankrupt spins on Wheel of Fortune?

Wheel of Fortune viewers have noticed an uptick in bankrupt spins since Ryan Seacrest’s debut

Wheel watchers discussed the possibility of Ryan Seacrest being responsible for the increase in bankrupt spins on Reddit in a post titled, “Is It Me or Are There More Bankrupts Since Seacrest?”

In the caption, Redditor u/BoomersRule48 admitted he/she has been a Wheel of Fortune fan for many years but had “never seen so many contestants getting Bankrupted as now.”

The viewer noted that since Ryan Seacrest became host, Wheel of Fortune contestants have suffered back-to-back bankrupt spins, some with multiple bankrupts, and contestants leading the game end up losing it all with a bankrupt spin.

“This is all since Seacrest became host! Am I imagining this? Does Seacrest have bad juju? Or is it that the wheel misses Pat?” their caption pondered.

Other Wheel watchers offered their opinions in the comments section, and it was evident that u/BoomersRule48 wasn’t alone in their observation.

One Wheel of Fortune viewer concurred, adding, “I’ve noticed this too! I thought that in previous seasons they were just editing out bankrupts that didn’t matter (like when the contestant doesn’t have any money to lose).”

Another Redditor wrote that the increase in bankrupt spins has been “very [noticeable].”

“I’ve been saying this since he started!” added another commenter. “It’s crazy how often the wheel keeps hitting bankrupt throughout each episode!!”
wheel of fortune viewers discuss contestants going bankrupt since ryan seacrest began hostingWheel fans weigh in. Pic credit: u/BoomersRule48/Reddit

What are the odds of landing on a bankrupt wedge?

Could there be some truth to the chatter? Is Ryan Seacrest bad luck for Wheel of Fortune’s Season 42 contestants?

The Wheel of Fortune wheel has two bankrupt wedges. If a contestant’s spin lands on either of the bankrupt wedges, they must forfeit their turn and lose any cash or prizes accumulated in that round.

With 24 wedges on the wheel, the probability of landing on a bankrupt wedge is an 8.33 percent chance.

A trio of Wheel of Fortune contestants experience unbelievably bad luck

Since Ryan began hosting, viewers have witnessed a slew of unlucky spins for contestants.

One such instance saw three contestants land on three consecutive bankrupt wedges.

The video clip on X (formerly Twitter) was appropriately captioned, “This just happened on Wheel of Fortune… Unbelievable!”

 

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After the three-peat debacle, Ryan joked, “Should we have a conversation with this wheel?”

The string of bad luck didn’t stop there, either. The next spin landed on a “Lose A Turn” wedge, prompting Ryan to ask, “Who did something bad before they got here?”

Soon after, two contestants landed on successive fourth and fifth bankrupt wedges.

Once again, Ryan tried to make light of the event, telling the players, “So, I’m new here. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Although Ryan urged the next contestant to “break this curse,” he landed on a “Lose a Turn” wedge, and the studio audience was in disbelief.

Ryan was, too, as he turned to hostess Vanna White and asked her to explain what was happening.

Vanna was just as baffled, put her hands up in the air, and signaled that she had no idea.

Unbelievably, a contestant spun yet another bankrupt.