Drew Carey Spills Some Juicy ‘The Price Is Right’ Show Secrets

The Price is Right host Drew Carey has been opening up about the long-running game show, revealing some behind-the-scenes secrets, including how he keeps all the rules straight, coming up with new games, and dealing with inebriated contestants.

Carey, who took over from the legendary Bob Barker as Price is Right host in 2007, recently spoke with TV Insider while on the set of the long-running game show. During the interview, Carey revealed he now knows the rules for all 79 games “like the back of my hand.”

“They used to give me a list of the games for the week. I quit looking at it. They don’t even give it to me anymore,” he said, noting how he, just like the contestants, has no idea what game will be coming up next.

“When I’m on the show, I literally don’t know what we’re playing [next]. I know all of them like the back of my hand, so when I’m pointed to a place I can think like, “Oh, it’s going to be one of these games.” Or I can tell from the setup like, “Oh, we’re going to be playing ‘Lucky Seven,’” Carey explained.

Carey has even had a chance to create a game of his own, “Rat Race,” which he described as “like a Frankenstein of all the other Price is Right games.”

Sonja Flemming/CBS

“Rat Race,” which was introduced in 2010, sees contestants betting on three of five colored plush toy rats set up on a race track. The contestant has the chance to walk away with a car and two prizes.

“Like the randomness that happens on ‘Plinko’ — you never know how the race is going to turn out — there’s the way you get to pick a rat by progressively going a dollar, $10, a hundred dollars off. I just stole from every other thing and made a new thing,” Carey shared.

The beloved host also touched on his dress sense, describing his Price is Right look as “aging rock star.”

“We got new wardrobe people and they said, “We want to know your vibe.” I said, “I want to look like an aging rock star.” We went through pictures. I like the brand John Varvatos. I like that idea of still hip but dressed appropriately for my age,” Carey stated.

It’s not all fun and games, though; Carey often has to deal with contestants who get a little over-the-top, sometimes due to taking a little liquid courage before the show.

“Oh, that happens here all the time. They’ll have a gummy or I’ll smell alcohol on their breath. Not unusual,” the Drew Carey Show alum explained.

He added, “There was a guy here that was tripping on mushrooms. He came with a bunch of friends. He was a sketch [comedy] guy. I found out later when I went to UCB [sketch improv theater, United Citizens Brigade] to hang out, and they were like, ‘Did you see that guy who claimed to be a skateboarding rabbi?’ I asked him what he did for a living. And he goes, ‘I’m a skateboarding rabbi.’ He didn’t think he was going to get picked, and he totally tripped.”

To read more of Carey’s thoughts on Price is Right, you can check out his full interview with TV Insider.

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