The Price Is Right is as much of a weekday morning staple as coffee and traffic, and is less intense on the nerves that both. The steadfast daily routine is a big reason why it’s been among TV’s best game shows for so many decades; there’s comfort in the predictable. However, a recent episode threw viewers for a loop when a contestant exited before spinning the Big Wheel, and the production has now shared and update on the situation.
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In an episode that aired on Thursday, June 26 — available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription — The Price Is Right’s George Gray called for a contestant named Kathy to “Come on down!” for the second bidding round, and she ended up being the third contestant to take on a pricing game. She was quite adorable, too, in how excitedly shaken up she was to be standing up there with Drew Carey.
Kathy remained just as nervously jubilant throughout her game of Gridlock. (Or as Carey calls it, “1:34 on the 5.”) She unfortunately didn’t get all of the numbers in place to win a new car, which was disappointing for all to see.
Carey threw to commercial like usual, teasing the Big Wheel on the way, but whenever the ep returned from the ad break, the two hopefuls who preceded Kathy were the only ones waiting to spin. Carey quickly explained:
Welcome back, everybody. If you notice, we only have two Wheel-spinners players for the Showcase Showdown, because contestant Kathy had an emergency and she was unable to continue. So she’s not going to be able to continue. We’re going to have two spinners. Good luck to these two guys. . . . I hope Kathy’s doing okay.
I’m sure other fans had to be thinking the same positive thoughts as Carey in hoping the best for Kathy, while also wondering what actually happened.
Price Is Right Shared Statement And Return Invite
Less than a week after Kathy’s mysterious exit, a Price Is Right representative shared a statement with TV Insider that addressed the incident. While no specific cause or explanation was given for the prior appearance, it does appear that she’s in good health and good spirits.
Part of the update is the reveal that Kathy is being welcomed back. Here’s what was shared:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, one of our contestants was unfortunately unable to complete her time on a recent episode of The Price Is Right. We are pleased to share that Kathy has been invited to return as our special member of our audience for a future show taping. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome her back and extend our sincere thanks to Kathy —and to all of our loyal viewers—for being such an incredible part of our television family.
Hopefully being a “special” member of the audience guarantees Kathy a return to the Big Wheel, even if it means bending the rules a little for others. Go Kathy!
Drew Carey is showing no real signs of wanting to exit his role as The Price Is Right‘s host, and seems keen on letting the universe guide his future. Here’s to the rest of that span going by without any other contestant emergencies cropping up.
