The Price Is Right's Shocking Secrets and Jaw-Dropping Mishaps: Unveiling Injuries, Scandalous Puzzles, and Beyond!

The Price Is Right has been a popular morning TV show for many years, and throughout its history, it has encountered numerous amusing incidents and controversies.

In a 1984 episode, the show's previous host, Bob Barker, unintentionally made a rookie error when he revealed the correct answer to a contestant named Albert before the game had concluded. During the game Pick-A-Pair, Albert was given the challenge of identifying two products that were priced the same as a can of chili, which was sold for $1.59 at that time. Unfortunately, Albert's initial guess turned out to be incorrect.

"The raisins are priced at $1.59," Barker, the long-time host of the game show since 1972, mistakenly claimed. Unaware of his blunder, he confidently asked, "Do you know how I know they're $1.59?"

However, upon realizing his mistake, Barker quickly corrected himself and chuckled. He acknowledged that Albert now had a "pretty good chance of winning," which elicited laughter from the audience.

"Don't just stand there, chuckling at me," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "I've been making a complete fool of myself, Albert. I've been playing this game for all these years, and you knew it all along, knew that I was just messing around."

Following Barker's retirement in 2007, Drew Carey was appointed as his replacement on the game show. During his second season as the host, the former Whose Line Is It Anyway? host found himself embroiled in a nearly scandalous incident that never made it to the airwaves.

During an episode of SiriusXM's Jeff and Larry's Comedy Roundup show in February 2021, a contestant participating in the game of Plinko had a stroke of extraordinary luck. The individual, a college girl, managed to successfully drop her first three chips directly into the highly sought-after $10,000 slot. This impressive feat not only surpassed a previous record but also incited an uproar of excitement and jubilation from the crowd. However, the atmosphere quickly shifted when the fourth chip was released. The floor director swiftly intervened, halting the chip's movement, and leaned in to inform Drew Carey, an alum of The Drew Carey Show and the show's host, that the game was allegedly rigged.

Carey's concerns about the potential scandal jeopardizing his job were alleviated when he discovered that the mishap was simply an unintentional error. Prior to the start of the season's filming, the game board had been utilized to shoot a commercial for an upcoming video game based on The Price Is Right. To ensure consistent results, the machine had been rigged with a fishing line, causing the chips to consistently land on the $10,000 spot.

Furthermore, Carey clarified that the contestant had been privately awarded $30,000, which was not included in her overall grand-prize total. Additionally, she was provided with a fresh set of Plinko chips for another opportunity to play.

Keep scrolling to see some of the other biggest mistakes on the Price Is Right over the years:

Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS

The Price Is Right’s Biggest Mistakes and Wildest Moments Over the Years: Injuries, Puzzle Scandals and More

During a 1984 episode of The Price Is Right, the former longtime host Bob Barker unintentionally made a rookie mistake by revealing the correct answer to contestant Albert before the game had concluded. Albert was participating in the game Pick-A-Pair, where he had to determine which products were priced the same as a can of chili that cost $1.59 at that time. Unfortunately, Albert's initial guess turned out to be incorrect.

"The raisins are priced at $1.59," Barker stated confidently, unaware of his error. He continued, "Do you want to know how I'm so sure about the price?"

Upon realizing his mistake, Barker quickly interrupted himself and chuckled, acknowledging that Albert now had a "fairly good shot at winning." This lighthearted moment elicited laughter from the amused audience.

"Don't just stand there, laughing at me," he retorted. "I've been making a fool of myself all these years, Albert. Playing this game. You're well aware of it, you knew I was just fooling around."

Following Barker's retirement in 2007, Drew Carey was appointed as his replacement for the game show. During his second season as the host, the former Whose Line Is It Anyway? host found himself embroiled in a potential scandal that never made it to air.

During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Jeff and Larry’s Comedy Roundup show in February 2021, a former cast member of the Drew Carey Show shared a memorable moment from the game of Plinko. A college girl had the opportunity to play and astonishingly dropped her first three chips directly into the highly coveted $10,000 slot, surpassing a previous record. The crowd erupted with excitement, jumping to their feet and cheering. However, as she dropped her fourth chip, the floor director intervened, stopping the chip, and whispering to me, "The game is rigged."

Carey's concerns about the potential scandal jeopardizing his employment were alleviated when he discovered that the mishap was simply an unintentional error. Prior to the commencement of the season's filming, the game board had been utilized to shoot a promotional commercial for an upcoming video game centered around "The Price Is Right." Interestingly, the machine had been cleverly manipulated with a fishing line mechanism, ensuring that the chips would consistently land on the $10,000 spot.

In addition, Carey clarified that the contestant had been secretly awarded a sum of $30,000 off-camera, which did not contribute to her overall grand-prize total. Moreover, she was graciously provided with a fresh set of Plinko chips, enabling her to have another opportunity at the game.

Keep scrolling to see some of the other biggest mistakes on the Price Is Right over the years:

Credit: Fremantle Media/Shutterstock

Bob Barker Gives Away the Answer

During a 1984 episode of the show, the experienced host unintentionally committed a novice error when he mistakenly disclosed the correct answer to a participant named Albert in the Pick-A-Pair game. Albert's objective was to select two items with identical prices. After Albert's initial guess, Barker admitted that he had prematurely revealed his knowledge of the answer before realizing that the game was still ongoing.

"Oops, hold on a moment, what was I thinking? The game hasn't ended yet," he humorously remarked, eliciting laughter from the audience. "You know what, Albert, I genuinely believe you have a great chance of winning this game."

Credit: Eric McCandless/CBS

Drew Carey’s 1st Day of Work Injury

In 2007, shortly before his first episode aired, Carey experienced an unfortunate accident while taking over for Barker. He injured his hand when it got caught in the rotating apparatus of the set used for the competition Grocery Game.

Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS; Youtube

Beating the Game

Terry Kniess made Price Is Right history by achieving a flawless bid on the Showcase Showdown prize, after dedicating years to studying the game show. Despite speculations of cheating, Esquire revealed that Terry and his wife, both devoted fans, invested several months into meticulously researching and memorizing the prices of previously featured items. Their efforts paid off when they noticed a pattern of prize recycling in the game.

Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS; Youtube

Continuing on Crutches

During her appearance on the show in 2014, Julie, a contestant, unfortunately sustained an ankle injury while spinning the Big Wheel. Despite the setback, she managed to proceed to the Showcase Showdown; however, she had to navigate the remainder of the game using crutches.

Credit: Youtube

Revealing the Answer Early

During an episode in April 2015, there was an incident involving model Manuela Arbeláez unintentionally disclosing the correct price of a brand new car to a contestant named Andrea, even before the game had reached its conclusion. With a guess of $21,960, Arbeláez inadvertently revealed the accurate price, resulting in Andrea being awarded the prize due to this unexpected slip-up.

Credit: Youtube

The Plinko Incident

In February 2021, Carey made a surprising revelation about an incident that occurred during his second season as a host. He shared an incident where a college student playing the well-known game Plinko managed to have all three of her chips land in the $10,000 spot. Carey explained that a producer had informed him that the game had been intentionally set to automatically win, as it was being used to film a commercial for the Price Is Right video game and the settings had not been reverted back.

Credit: Youtube

Shoulder Dislocation

In June 2023, Henry, a contestant, celebrated his victory on the show with great enthusiasm. However, his exuberance led to an unfortunate incident as he dislocated his shoulder while jumping up and down in excitement after winning a game of Bonkers. Consequently, his wife, Alice, had to step in and take over the spinning of the Big Wheel for him in the subsequent round. Surprisingly, Alice's efforts paid off as she managed to secure a high enough score, enabling Henry to advance to the highly anticipated Showcase Showdown. To everyone's delight, Henry emerged victorious once again and was rewarded with an amazing prize—a trip to the beautiful islands of Hawaii.