The Price Is Right host Drew Carey gave fans the inside scoop about the long-standing game show’s prizes and revealed which one of the gems he dislikes the most.
“The first season, we would give away a grandfather clock every show, and I never got it,” Drew, 66, reflected on his 18-year run on the show during a Tuesday, February 26, appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “Every time there would be a grandfather clock, I’d be there with my mic like, ‘Alright, well, I guess people like grandfather clocks. I’m just going to shut up.’”
While celebrating the 10,000th episode, Drew shocked late-night host Jimmy Kimmel when he revealed that the prizes were stored in a large warehouse.
“There’s a prize warehouse where they have bedroom sets and stuff,” Drew explained to Jimmy, 57. “At the end of the season, the crew can buy washers, dryers, beds, and leftover stuff they sell at discount prices.”
The Price Is Right fans took Drew in with open arms when he filled the hosting role for Bob Barker. That said, not all viewers have been happy with the structure of the show leading some to believe that the series is rigged and that production plays favorites amongst contestants.
“Drew does a fabulous job but scandals like this don’t do anyone any good and it’s got people worried behind the scenes. It’s become an increased talking point that won’t seem to go away,” a source exclusively told Closer in July 2024. “Fans are saying it doesn’t add up and [are] demanding answers. The fans are everything to this genre and they dictate a show’s success and if they’re not satisfied, it could all blow up.”
The insider revealed that the Price Is Right crew were “trying to bury their heads in the sand and ride it out, but it seems a pretty constant debate and something they must defend.”
Although the speculation has remained unanswered by The Price Is Right staff, a second source told Closer that Drew’s bosses were keeping close tabs on him.
“Bosses have every faith in Drew, he’s like royalty on that show and the game show circuit in general, but no one is above scrutiny – not even him,” the second insider said in January. “These fans are speaking up and voicing a lot of annoyance over some of his delivery and holding him responsible for other inconsistencies, like that $11,000 hot tub prize that looked like a cheap Walmart version.”
During a November 2024 episode, viewers were not impressed after a contestant won a hot tub that was priced at $11,000 – but the visual apparently didn’t match the price point.
“$11,000 hot tub … that hot tub is $399 at Walmart he meant pesos,” a fan wrote via Facebook after a clip of the moment was shared to the social media site.
Despite facing scandals over the years, Drew has done nothing but sing sweet praises about the show.
“Ever since the beginning, I wanted to be a good steward. I learned that from when I was a church kid. You got to be a good steward of the Earth and good steward of your family and a good steward of your money,” he told TV Insider in June 2024. “And I want to be a good steward of the show, so I don’t screw it up and wreck it from the very beginning. I was like, ‘Don’t mess it up.’ I just wanted to make sure it was always on.”
