Contestants go on The Price is Right in the hopes of winning a big cash prize. However, a contestant can still go home with a little something for their troubles even if they aren’t called to the stage. Recently, fans have talked about how much a person can get just by making an appearance.
Contestant’s Row Comes With A Few Perks
One famous part of the show is the Contestant’s Row, also known as Bidder’s Row. This is where contestants make bids on the items on the stage.
However, not all of these contestants get selected to play the games on stage. While they don’t get a chance at winning any prizes, some fans wonder if they were somehow compensated for their time.
On social media, one fan asked, “If you make it to [Contestant’s Row] but not on stage to play a game, do you get any kind of a consolation prize?” Other fans, some claiming to have appeared on the show, shared their answers.
One fan claimed, “You get $300. I won $300.” Notably, a few other fans backed up this claim, with some even claiming to have been such contestants.
However, the contestant noted the showrunners “don’t usually offer anything outside of taping the show.” They also noted that phones aren’t allowed at the taping, making it hard to take photos with Carey or the models.
Notably, there are also limits to how often someone can appear on the show, which was also noted in the comments. As noted by Good Housekeeping, contestants can audition for the show more than once, even if they made it to Contestants’ Row. However, there is a ten-year interim.
Some Fans Also Talked About Consolation Prizes
That said, another fan claimed there were other similar “prizes.” As they shared, “Currently, it’s $300 if called down, but don’t make it up on stage. They also do a random door prize drawing after the show of a random audience member not called down to Contestants’ row for $100.”
One fan claimed that the show itself used to advertise how much it paid such contestants. As one fan noted, “I don’t think I’ve seen it recently, but there was a time where, if you were watching on TV, just prior to the second showcase showdown, they would announce that ‘contestants not appearing on stage will receive…”
A few other fans shared claims over how these fans are compensated. Similarly, many claimed to be speaking from their own experience appearing on the show. Some comments included:
- “This was me in 2010. I was the first 4 called up, never made it up onto the stage. Got some consolation prizes, including CUTCO knives which I still have and use today… I got to dance with Drew Carey who was cheering for me to get onto the darn stage! But… 2025 is my redemption era, watch in April”
- “My wife was on in the 80s. She got an electric dictionary in plus $25 each of KFC and Spice Island gift cards.”
- “I thought you got up on stage.”
Are you keeping up with The Price is Right? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
