How I got on The Price is Right… and Won!

The Price is Right may very well be the longest running game show in T.V. history. I grew up watching the show but to be honest, I never thought I would ever get the chance to “come on down”. Living in Southern California provides plenty of opportunities to watch live shows. I was at work when I received an email from On Camera Audiences (the site that manages studio audiences for several television production companies). The tickets were for priority seating which guarantees me, and my guest(s) would be in the audience. Since the tickets were free, I figured why not? I believed it would be a fun experience so I signed myself and my co-worker Jenn to see the show in Burbank, CA. Read on to see what happens at the show, getting picked, what I won and special tips for the show.

At the Studio

We went to work that morning then headed out for the show. On the drive to CBS Studios, Jenn had a few episodes of The Price is Right playing on her phone. She watched while I listened and drove. We imagined ourselves being called as contestants and guessing the price of small appliances. Of course, there was a possibility of being called to “come on down” but most people don’t truly believe it will happen to them. We parked at the farmers market near The Grove and walked over to the studio. Tickets in hand, we were searched and sent to another line where they provide you with forms and disclosure agreements to sign. There was a long line of people with us, probably a couple hundred at this point. As we’re in line we make small talk with some folks around us. One guy in front of us came from Colorado just for this taping and was going to fly back home right after the show. We’re at the point now where a nice woman, whose sole job is to write name tags in that special Price is Right handwriting. I had to give my legal name which is Majida (though everyone knows me as Majj) because using any other name means you wouldn’t be allowed to win a prize. We were given a name tag to place on our shirt and a second tag with numbers that were in sequential order. We took a photo which I didn’t end up buying and kind of regret now, then get shuffled into another line and more waiting.

Getting Picked

The crowd now gets divided into smaller groups of approximately 20 people. From watching the show, I know that nine people will get called to “come on down” and six will get to actually play – I needed to stand out! A man came by and was asking people three basic questions: 1. What is your name? 2. Where are you from? 3. What do you do? I had a feeling this was the time to shine and show some personality. It turns out I was right! He was a producer of the show and was basically “interviewing” people to gage their energy level. When he got to Jenn and I, he took one look at my name tag and appeared really puzzled. He asked, “how do you say your name?” To which I replied, “no, no, no… how do YOU say my name?” He laughed and basically pronounced my name as ma-hee-da. With lots of enthusiasm I said, “listen, I’ve been called ma-hee-da, ma-jee-da, ma-gi-da, I’ve heard it all!” He’s cracking up by this point then I go on to tell him how Jenn and I ditched work to be here for the show. He wishes us luck and moves on to the next group of people. We wait through another line where they take away any phones or smart watches you might have on you. There are episodes of the price is right playing so you’re really getting into the vibe now. The doors open and I’m immediately filled with excitement! We go into the studio which is smaller than I imagined. The stage however, appeared grand and so colorful! We get ushered to our seats which happened to be in a far back corner. Since we were seated so far, I assumed our chance to be called were out the window at this point, but I was still so excited and happy to be in the audience. The energy level of the audience was so high, especially when Drew Carey came on stage!

What I Won

As the theme song of The Price is Right starts playing, the announcer George Gray calls the first contestant, “Majida Alkhatib, come on down!” I couldn’t believe it until I saw the giant cue card with my name on it! For the remainder of the show, my mind was in a fog. The first item to bid on was a Samsung television. I gave my bid and it was just my lucky day! Not only did my bid get me on stage, but I also bid the exact price of the television and scored an extra $500 CASH! From there I run up to the stage, greet Drew Carey and play Plinko where I won $1,500. Fast forward to spin the wheel the round… I spin the highest number (.85) getting closest to $1.00 and move on to the Showcase Showdown! The other contestant with me in the Showcase round was given the opportunity first to either bid on the first showcase or pass. He decided to pass so I gave my bid for a 5-piece lawn equipment set, a trip to British Columbia, Vancouver Canada and brand-new Hyundai Accent! My bid ended up being closest to the actual retail price and I WON! All in all, the entire experience was surreal, and I felt so lucky and blessed.

Price is Right Tips

I’d like to offer a few important pieces of advice for anyone wanting to be on the show. Go with positive energy and allow yourself to have fun. Expect to wait for several hours so I would recommend you make friends with the people around you because it will make the time go by faster. Keep your energy level up the entire time because you just don’t know who’s watching you. When the producer comes to your group to ask you the basic questions, try to take over the conversation and tell him or her something funny or crazy about yourself; this is the key to standing out when you’re surrounded by hundreds of people. If you’re fortunate enough to get called to “come on down”, don’t over bid. Over bidding means you’ll have zero chance of winning because they’re looking for the closest figure of the actual retail price without going over. The rest is simply up to your luck for that day. If you win, be prepared to pay taxes on your winnings. You will be sent a 1099 statement for the value of your prizes at year end. Folks that win but reside outside of California will be required to pay taxes to California within a couple of weeks, before they can receive their prize to their hometown. The prizes are not given on the spot; they are sent within 90 days of the air-date of the show. Keep in mind, you cannot tell people or post on social media about your winnings before the show airs, otherwise they could be subject to forfeiture.

If you’d like to watch the episode I was on, you can search The Price is Right S48 E58. To get your free tickets to the The Price is Right, visit the website the website of On Camera Audiences.