New Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest is making headlines yet again for his conduct on Tuesday’s Girlfriend’s Getaway special episode. He was visibly irritated by a contestant pair from Minnesota, Kelli Mullen and Emma Paulson, who claimed to be best friends for 23 years.
The duo initially made it to the bonus round with a prize trip and over $19,000. However, they lost even more by the end of the episode. Fans of the show took to social media, expressing varied reactions, and some were just as annoyed as Ryan.
Why did Ryan Seacrest lose his cool on ‘Wheel of Fortune’?
Kelli and Emma got a two-word puzzle, to which they were required to provide four letters. Being a joint effort, they were allowed to consult each other before answering; however, they took too long to agree. Ryan was growing impatient, and to make things worse, the girls kept switching between letters C and D.
Ryan could be heard whispering to them off-screen that he could hear them, but they laughed nonchalantly as the host got annoyed. He issued a stern warning as they went back and forth on another letter pair, ultimately picking one on their behalf. Vanna White added their answers, and the girls could hardly keep still as the 10-second timer went off.
Fans react to the annoying contestants
Kelli and Emma lost as they failed to get the phrase “applying myself,” ultimately losing $75,000. A relieved Ryan announced their loss, saying it was a pleasure to meet them. Fans seemed to agree that the contestants flopped their moment, and most could not believe they got the simple puzzle wrong.
A YouTube user said they could have gotten it right were they not busy whispering during the bonus round. “That was painful but not the worst painful missing out on 75k ‘P’s’ would’ve done it,” another noted. The ladies, who met in sixth grade, went home with friendship intact, $19,530 cash, and a trip to Barbados.