A contestant on The Price Is Right seemed rather disappointed after a decision during one of the game show’s pricing contests.
However, one of the show’s models was there to comfort him and remind him that everything was still OK for him after his Price Is Right luck.
The contestant, from Michigan, joined host Drew Carey on stage after giving the closest bid for a product during his time at Contestant’s Row.
He then participated in the game Spelling Bee, which features a beehive-themed gameboard with numbers up to 30 and prizes of cash or a car.
The contestant has to estimate the prices of products within $10 to choose numbers from the board.
Each number has the letter “C,” “A,” or “R” behind it, or possibly the word “CAR.”
Spelling Bee also has an interesting twist, similar to something one might see on Let’s Make a Deal.
Model comforts TPIR contestant after he regrets his game decision
Drew had model Rachel Reynolds on stage with him during the May 15, 2024, episode, and she helped keep a contestant in good spirits after a tough moment during Spelling Bee.
From the start, Drew allowed the Michigan contestant to choose two free numbers from the board, each worth $1,000.
He then had to estimate the price within $10 for three items, including garden tools, a USB microphone, and ice cube trays. After getting two of three, the man had four cards on the board worth $4,000.
With that, Drew offered the man a decision: Take the $4,000 or see if he’d won a brand new car.
After checking with the audience, including a woman he’d been sitting with, his decision seemed set.
“I’ll take the cash and run,” he told Drew.
“You’re gonna take the cash?” Drew asked, seeming surprised, but the man confirmed that was his decision, saying his “gut” told him he didn’t get the letters to spell out “CAR.”
However, he was wrong when Drew revealed that there was a “C” followed by an “A” and an “R” on the backs of his first three cards.
The contestant put his hands on his head and then crouched down, realizing he could’ve won the car instead of the cash.
“You shouldn’t be upset. You got $4,000,” Rachel told him as she shook the man’s hand.
“I’m $4,000 richer than when I came here. Absolutely,” he told her.
“And it’s not over yet,” Rachel reminded the man as Drew sent the show to commercial break.
“That’s right. I’m in the Showcase,” the man said before the show went to break.
However, that wasn’t true, as, unfortunately, he did not qualify after spinning the Wheel. Taking home some cash isn’t a bad consolation prize for his time on stage.
TPIR fans reacted to the contestant’s tough moment
The Price Is Right viewers had mixed reactions after seeing the contestant walk away with $4,000 instead of a brand-new car. Many believed he made a bad call by not taking the big risk.
“Always go for it. Shocking he had C A R but I would have gone for the car,” a fan commented, adding, “But he won the money so good for him!”
Another commenter said, “If I came with nothing, I’d expect to leave with nothing—always go for the car!”
“How can you play Spelling Bee if you don’t have any confidence in yourself?” a commenter asked.
While many fans believed it was a bad call, others suggested the man made a wise decision by not taking on the expenses of a new car.
“I would have taken the $4,000. Auto insurance these days are so high,” a commenter said, while another wrote, “I’d have taken the cash too. Happy with my car.”
Another commenter suggested that the contestant “pays less for having $4k” compared to the taxes he’d pay on a new car.
The car presented as the prize was a new Kia Sol, which announcer George Gray said was worth $23,000.
Thankfully, the contestant didn’t leave empty-handed, and the show’s models, including Rachel, are there to brighten everyone’s days, no matter the disappointing game results.