‘The Price Is Right’ Has Emergency Pants for Overexcited Contestants
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!
That’s not an unusual reaction when someone’s name is called to come on down and bid on fabulous prizes on the long-running game show The Price Is Right. One of the show’s producers recently told PEOPLE that the show had a contingency plan for even the most frenzied contestants. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
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“When I got there,” says former producer Mike Richards, “they had a system in place in case someone peed their pants. I never saw it happen, but there were curtains and a blow dryer and a pair of sweats just in case, since we'd have to get on with the show.” Sounds like an “In Case of Emergency, Break Glass” situation, with baggy pants awaiting instead of a fire alarm.
It wasn't so crazy to have a wardrobe malfunction plan. Price Is Right superfans, either due to the thrill of having their name called or actually winning a huge prize, have been known to practically suffer aneurysms in their excitement. Given those reactions, it's somewhat surprising that Richards never saw anyone actually release their bladder.
The Price is Right has a long history of contestants freaking out. While no one has required a new pair of pants (THAT WE KNOW OF), here are some other examples of hyperactive reactions:
- A contestant named Alene Farris won the Showcase Showdown and promptly lost consciousness. After her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she hit the floor, Bob Barker rushed to resuscitate her with the help of Price is Right staff. Farris was soon back on her feet, with Barker assuring the audience that she was all right despite the taxes she’d soon owe on her winnings.
- Kari Kinder was another winning contestant but she was so disoriented by the experience that she couldn’t find her way off the stage after she’d scored — irony drumroll, please — a navigation system.
- And maybe the spare pair of pants should have been for Drew Carey. Nutso contestants have been known to get so excited that they basically tackle the host…
…and occasionally Neil Patrick Harris.
