Scoring a Seat on The Price is Right
You may think if you just show up and smile at Mr. Bilts, you’re in – but it’s not that simple. There are a few guidelines you’ll want to follow if you’re going to have any chance of winning. Contestants are limited to those ages 18 and above, as well as a legal US resident who’s currently living in the country.
Getting a ticket in no way guarantees you a spot on the show – unless you get a priority ticket. To do so, you’ll need to reserve a seat far in advance. If you try to get a last-minute ticket, you’ll wind up with a line, and you’ll go through the process of being chosen at random.
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.”
Bob Barker V. Adam Sandler
Anyone who’s seen "Happy Gilmore" should remember this legendary scene that went down between leading man, Adam Sandler, and the famous talk show host. Barker played himself in the hit comedy, in which he and the silly protagonist wind up duking it out on the golf course – in more ways than one.
The film marked Barker’s first role in a major motion picture. Two decades later, in 2015, the pair recreated the scene only this time, it took place in a hospital room. The faux fight took place on “Night of Too Many Stars,” a charity event to raise money for autism awareness and programs.
Patricia Bernard, Come on Down! Patricia?
In 1976, during one taping of the show that was being hosted by Bob Barker, one contestant had some pretty bad timing. While names were being called for people to come on stage, when they got to one of them, Patricia Bernard – nothing happened. Everyone looked and looked as the name was called repeatedly, but no one appeared.
So where was Patricia? Apparently, Patricia had run off to take a bathroom break. The same thing happened several decades later to a woman named Tara Armstrong in 2019. “Come on down!” called George Gray, and just moments later followed with, “is she…she’s in the bathroom.”