Drew Carey Shells Out His Own Cash
Many of you may have seen the current host, Drew Carey, shelling out some cash during specific recordings. And, while you may think that producers gave it to him specifically for the award money, that’s not the case at all.
On the show, when a contestant makes a bid that’s spot-on when it comes to the retail price, Carey gives them something that they can walk away with that day – $500 of his cash! As of 2017, he’d given away nearly $200,000 of his salary to contestants on the show! That reveals just how cool of a guy he is.
The Man Who Picks Contestants
The way the show is set up leads those watching at home to believe that audience members are all chosen entirely at random – but that’s not entirely the way things work. A man named Stan Bilts, nicknamed “Mr. Right,” scans lines outside of the studio, looking for potential audience members that catch his eye.
According to an interview he gave, he’s said that he chooses contestants based on their enthusiasm. And, if he seats you in the audience and you “die-off on him” – meaning if you don’t cheer or interact with the game – you’ll get replaced with someone who will!
Magic Mic
If you’ve been a long-time fan of the show, you’ve probably noticed that the host is always holding a strange, seemingly outdated microphone. Bob Barker continued to use a corded mic long throughout the times when cordless models were available. When he was asked about why he did so, he said it was because he didn’t want to confuse or upset the audience.
He figured they all expected to see him holding that mic, and that’s what he was going to give them! These days, host Drew Carey holds a long, skinny mic that he uses to interact with contestants.
Vanna White’s Appearance on the Show
Before Vanna White got her big break on "Wheel of Fortune," she appeared as a contestant on "The Price is Right" in 1980. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it very far, as she bid $695 on three different prizes. But not long after, she won at life when she beat 200 other women out of the role she now holds on Wheel.
In an interview after she’d found her fame, she laughed about her first appearance on a game show. Perhaps it had something to do with the long pause she took to admire herself in the show’s monitor – which Bob Barker called her out on.
Introducing Male Models
The show has forever had female models posing with the prizes, to make them seem more alluring on camera. But in 2012, they decided to switch things up and bring on some male models to add to the team, as well. The first addition was Rob Wilson, a male model from Boston.
He scored the role when he was named the winner of the show’s first modeling contest held for men. Since then, they’ve kept a pretty high rotation of both male and female models. One producer commented that they were very excited to have him since he’s “all about positivity.”