Wheel of Fortune’s Ryan Seacrest ‘having therapy’ as his ‘worst nightmare’ comes true

Some Wheel of Fortune fans have been very critical of Ryan Seacrest’s presenting skills – prompting the star to begin therapy, according to a source.

Wheel Of Fortune: Pat Sajak hands the reigns to Ryan Seacrest

Wheel of Fortune’s new host Ryan Seacrest is hurt by viewers constantly comparing him to show’s former presenter Pat Sajak, a source claims.

Some fans on social media claim that while Pat,77, was supportive to contestants when they missed out on winning prizes, Seacrest – who made his debut on the show when it returned for a new series earlier this month – lacks empathy.

Others claim Seacrest, 49, lacks charisma and is not good at reading his lines unlike Pat.

The insider said Seacrest reads all the comments and takes them to heart, and is planning to have therapy to help him cope with the negative feedback.

They told Closer: “Now, he finds himself in the firing line and people don’t like him and it’s his worst nightmare.

“His self-esteem has taken a beating and he’s seeking therapy to build himself back up again. He needs to talk things out with a professional who can offer him therapeutic neutrality.

“Ryan’s a lot more sensitive than people give him credit for and his confidence and arrogance are merely bravado for him,” the source explains.

“If he thought he could waltz into Wheel of Fortune and spin things his way, he thought wrong. The job’s harder than he thought and winning over the fans has been a tough nut to crack.

“He’s reading everything that’s said about him and taking it to heart. People say he’s no match for Sajak and he’s flubbing his lines, but to be fair he’s got so much to deal with and not just Wheel of Fortune. Of course, the biggest struggle is that he hates to be hated.”

Some fans blasted Seacrest for the way he treated a contestant called Vivian on a recent episode after she lost out on a $1 million bonus round prize.

When he revealed the staggering fortune Vivian had missed out on, he chuckled and said: “You were so close to that million dollars. You almost had it.”

Vivian put her hands on her head, before the host asked her: “Are you alright? … Breathe! You’re still walking away with $27,300 and that trip to Europe.”

In reponse to the way Seacrest, who has a net worth of $60m, treated Vivian, one person said on X: “It’s more devastating than maybe he realizes.”

Another wrote. “He’s gotta work on his empathy skills.” A third said: “Can he even remember what it’s like to not be rich?”

Others said the show’s former host would have handled it better than Seacrest, including one who wrote: “Ryan laughed at her, I felt – Pat was way more demure about it.”

Another added: “Didn’t Ryan say something like ‘You’re going to kick yourself’ or something like that? While Pat acted like somebody died.”

Seacrest presenting skills were also panned after he made his debut on the show. One said: “Ryan Seacrest is not good on @WheelofFortune.”

“This is the worst day of my life; just watched the first Pat Sajak-less Wheel of Fortune & hated it,” another said.

A third added: “Ryan Seacrest was awful on Wheel of Fortune. Is the epitome of the ‘Hollow Man.’ No personality, has to fake being human.”

But others have praised Seacrest after he made his presenting debut, saying he did a great job.

One said: “I miss Pat but I’m loving Ryan Seacrest. He’s doing so well.

A second person wrote: “Ryan Seacrest’s first episode as host of Wheel of Fortune was really good. It’s a hard role to fill, and hard to step in for Sajak.

A third added: “Ryan, we felt your fun, humility, respect and enthusiasm for replacing icon Pat and stepping into your new role.”