Why ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Fans Are Coming to Ryan Seacrest’s Defense Amid Viral Debate

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Ryan Seacrest has had a decent run as host of Wheel of Fortune so far, but some fans seem to think he doesn’t quite fit the part.

The 49-year-old’s height was recently a topic of discussion among fans of the game show, with some shaming him for being “short.” This prompted others to defend the host.

The conversation was sparked on Monday, December 2, after a user posted on the Wheel of Fortune subreddit and pointed out Seacrest’s height. “He could definitely use some heels in this episode,” they wrote, adding, “Literally every single contestant was at least an inch or two taller than he is.” The user concluded their post by stating, “Pat wasn’t exactly a basketball player himself, but I never noticed such a stark difference like today.”

One fan responded in the comments section of the post in Seacrest’s defense, writing, “People find the weirdest reasons to hate on Ryan…. I guess that means he’s doing a good job if this is the complaint you have.” A second fan added, “Let’s not body shame. He’s personable, nice to contestants, and keeps the show moving at a good pace. If you don’t like him, watch something else.”

A third fan noted, “I thought Pat would stand on something to make him at least as tall as most of the contestants. Today when I noticed Ryan was shorter than all of them, I interpreted that as he didn’t feel a need to make himself taller.”

Despite having some folks come to his defense, others admitted they actually agreed. “Haha, we noticed that at my house too tonight,” wrote one fan in agreement with the original post, while a second added, “lol I said the same thing.” A third had a similar view, writing, “He did look a little awkward next to the bonus round winner.”

Seacrest (who measured himself at “5’8 and 1/2′” in 2020 after Google listed his height incorrectly) took over as host of the game show in September after Sajak stepped down in July following 41 years on the job. Despite having big shoes to fill, the new host garnered an average of 7.99 million viewers during his first month on the show, according to Nielsen data.