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30 People Share What Happened With Their Prizes After Winning A Game Show
And behind Door Number 3, you’ll see that you just won a brand new car! We can’t wait to send you home with your prize! Just remember that first you’ll have to pay taxes on it, buy car insurance, pay for gas and figure out a way to transport it all the way back to your home state. Congratulations!
Game shows have been a television staple for decades, but have you ever considered what it’s actually like to win one? Well, lucky for us, plenty of former game show contestants have detailed their experiences online, so we don’t have to go on The Price Is Right to understand what it’s like. Below, you’ll find info about the money awarded, the downsides of the prizes, and how the experience impacted participants’ lives, as well as interviews with game show champions Stephen Hall and Cory Anotado. Enjoy getting a glimpse into the wild world of game shows, and be sure to upvote the stories that make you want to audition for Jeopardy!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
My high school drama and speech teacher was the “friend” someone called for a “phone a friend” option on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? back when Regis was still the host. The guy who called him shared a portion of the money with my teacher, like 20-30k and and my teacher used the money to adopt a baby
Tristan J 2 years ago
No one else thinking that adopting shouldn't require that amount of cost?
Ode 2 years ago
The fees are among other things to check that there is no human trafficking involved
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Stannous Flouride 2 years ago
I made it to the Hot Seat on the first season of WWtBaM? with Regis and arranged different agreements with all of the 5 people I was allowed to have as phone-a-friends. They were required to be available and depending on the closeness of our relationship I rewarded them in different ways- $100 to be available and $1000 if I called. I didn't win $1million but won enough to seriously improve my credit rating, You can watch it on YT if you search for "Stan Flouride" there. Or copy this: https://youtu.be/7Pxa_OflmIY Screen-Sho...fb-png.jpg 
Stannous Flouride 2 years ago
And, btw- I spent a lot of my winnings to take a volunteer vacation working on an archeological dig near Naples.
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Karen Bird 2 years ago
Best way to spend your money - improve the world for one little human 🥰
RELATED:
#2
Not a game show. I rang the bell on the sledgehammer game at a country fair. The girl I was on a date with was impressed. Still married after 35 plus years.
Stannous Flouride 2 years ago
These all have a way for the operator to increase or reduce the drag on the weight. Some decent operator saw that OP was trying to impress the girl and did a good thing. Usually they only restrict the weight if it's some macho show-off.
To learn more about what it's like to win a game show, we reached out to Stephen Hall, the man behind HowToWinGameShows.com. Stephen is an experienced game show winner, and lucky for us, he was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda about his experiences.
"Here in Australia, Sale of the Century was a hugely popular show from 1980 - 2001," he shared. "I competed on it in 1994, and lost. Then I went back on five years later... and lost again. After that, the show was axed... but then resurrected in 2005 under the new name Temptation. I went on Temptation that year and won seven nights in a row, taking home the entire prize showcase and an incredible cash jackpot! As a result, the following year I competed in Australia's Brainiest Quiz Master (against other quiz show winners), and managed to win that too!"
#3
I won $125,000 on Who Wants to Be A Millionaire about 20 years ago. After taxes, I still had about $80,000. I paid my car off, got a computer, was able to quit a full-time job I hated and take a more enjoyable part-time job, and went to college. Now I work at a job I love that I wouldn’t have if I never got a college education. RIP Regis.
Elita One 2 years ago
I find it insane that America taxes prize/lottery money, to be told you won $125000 than lose $45000 of it, just seems like such a rip off.
Monday 2 years ago
It's not just America, it's pretty standard in many places. I think here in SA it's 40% off of large prizes since that's our highest tax bracket. Personally I wouldn't complain, still free money.
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tabithapaquette98 2 years ago
That is a great story. I'm so glad you were able to get out of a job you hated and now do something you enjoy!
Mark Bayliss 2 years ago
U.S. athletes are taxed in the value of the gold medals that they win at the Olympics!!!
Lucy Reeves 2 years ago
Luckily in the UK the winnings from any type of competition are tax free.
Nice Beast Ludo 2 years ago
I don't consider it income more like a windfall...you don't get taxed on gifts right? It should be considered a gift. How was Oprah giving away cars not considered a gift? Didn't the taxes already get paid on the car? Sorry maybe I'm wrong
#4
This will get buried but I won Wheel of Fortune 2 years ago. I won $67,000. After taxes it ended up being about $52,000. I paid off all my debt, went to Disney, bought some new furniture for the house and paid cash for a car. Still have about 20k sitting in savings. It was absolutely phenomenal. It had always been my dream and I still can’t believe it happened.
𝖊𝖜𝖔𝛋 2 years ago
I think the only way people can afford to go Disney now would be to win a prize or lottery 😂 very jealous, would love to go (if I could get over fear of travelling and rollercoasters)
Nice Beast Ludo 2 years ago
Well the great thing about Disney is that there are so many rides thar aren't coasters that the coasters are in the minority. My husband got a small settlement in 2016 and we got to go. We went for 8 days in the off season abs had a free meal plan and only paid $2700. Could never make the trip at that cost now with food included especially. We didn't fly though we drove. Hope you get to go one day
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PurplePringle 2 years ago
That math doesn't add up. 67,000 - 52,000 = 15,000 Then they spent a little bit on furniture and stuff which is expensive. But they couldn't have had more than 15,000 to put in savings so 20,000 doesn't work. Unless I'm missing something Am I missing something?
Shadow 2 years ago
They won 67 000$. Taxes were 15 000$ so in the end they still had 52 000$. You just inverted the numbers.
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lenxia buda 2 years ago
Soo unfair the government gets to tax prize money. When someone enters a competition they should be entitled to the whole amount and the should state the prize money to what the actual prize is after tax.. Someone needs to start a petition
Devon Comstock 2 years ago
I'm not sure if applies to other prizes, but I believe lottery taxes go directly towards schools :)
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Brady Michele 2 years ago
WHY start your story with "This will get buried but ..." BS??? Just tell the truth and get on with life ffs
We were also curious if Stephen found the prizes he won to be worth it. "You bet they were!" he told Bored Panda. "Among the prizes I won on Temptation were holidays (domestic and international), jewelry, a lounge suite, a big screen TV, a kitchen renovation, a new car, a huge cash jackpot... and a telescope. Absolutely life-changing stuff, the benefits of which I - and my family - are still feeling today. The prize on Australia's Brainiest Quizmaster was a $20,000 donation to a charity of my choice (the RSPCA)."
Stephen added that he had been "avidly studying Temptation" as he trained for it, so he was "super familiar with the all ins and outs of the format and all the prizes on offer." The only thing that may have surprised him was the telescope!
#5
Not a game show, but I won a mooing contest at a fair. Prize was a walkman in the 90s. MOOOO🐄
Kevin the Manager 2 years ago
This should be far closer to #1. How the fu*k does one judge that?
Miss_H84 2 years ago
I thought it said mooning too until I saw the comments and read it again 😆
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Bouche, Audi, and Shyla, oh my! 2 years ago
Bouche hasn't been amused lately, what with a kitten hanging from her tail all the time.
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Mel in Real Life 2 years ago (edited)
The state fair where I live here in Arkansas had that in the 90's. it was called "Do your Moo" and you recorded your moo at the moo stand and a set of judges picked their favorite at the end of the week! I forgot what the prize was. It was put on by the "Arkansas Dairy Farmers Association"
#6
This was way back in the early aughts; my roommate was booked on a Fox Network game-show, I think it was called 'Greed', and meant to compete with the wildly popular (at that time) 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'.
I still remember the day he comes home from taping the show; opens the door, throws his arms up in the air in a victory pose, s**t-eating grin, and declares, "I just won a LOT of money!!"
Apparently he hd signed an NDA of sorts, so he couldn't tell any of us (friends & Family) how much it was until the show aired a few months later
He won 300K before taxes (which were significant). Funny thing; he only bought one big thing, a new but entry-level Honda and put the remaining $$ in the bank. Didn't change him in the slightest from my recollection.
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
I can imagine the feeling of freedom knowing you can leave your job any time you want, and knowing your bosses know they can't hold anything over you
Frederick Schulkind 2 years ago
I watched that show on GSN with Chuck Woolery as the host. It was possible to win a lot of money without doing very much.
#7
I won a few thousand on Jeopardy a few years ago. It allowed my wife and I to finally go on a honeymoon two years after getting married. Maybe not life-changing on a grand scale, but definitely made our lives a bit better.
Monday 2 years ago
Depends on your definition of life changing. Think of all the conversations that will spawn out of those honeymoon memories! My folks didn't have a honeymoon until their 21st wedding anniversary and it spawned a tradition where once a year they go back to the place they met for a weekend without the kids.
GlamourGhoul 2 years ago
I've been married almost 11 years and haven't had a honeymoon, hopefully one day.
We also asked Stephen what game show contestants should understand before deciding to go on any of these programs. "Rule #1 is make sure you know - I mean, REALLY know - the show," he says. "Watch the show, study the show, analyze it and play along against the other contestants on recorded episodes - or on episodes on streaming services - using your remote control as the buzzer. If you're serious about winning, remember that it IS a competition, and you need to train for it in a serious way. But if you're just going on for a bit of fun, and to maybe win a nice prize or two as a bonus, of course that's cool too. It just wasn't my approach... I always approached it as a mission."
#8
I was on a kids game show in the late 80s with my brother. We won, but lost the grand prize (trip to Disneyland) in the bonus round, and were given a $500 gift certificate to a toy store instead. $250 each for a toy store was absolutely incredible for a couple of kids, especially in the 80s. I still remember that shopping trip.
BakedKahuna 2 years ago (edited)
Oh back then I always envied the kids who could do a speed run of one or however many minutes through toys r us and could keep whatever they managed to put in their carts within that time 🤯
Salty Sasquatch 2 years ago
There used to be a game show that would award contestants with a minute-long (I think) speed run of a grocery store. That was during a time when meat prices were sky high, and most contestants ended up with huge family packs of meat.
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tabithapaquette98 2 years ago
That is a lot of money back then for a couple of kids. I bet that shopping trip was fabulous!
TrippyBanana 2 years ago
That was why I always wanted to be on legends of the hidden temple lol
Robert A Reider Jr 2 years ago (edited)
Does anyone remember "Wonderama"??!! It was a gameshow for kids. A Studio overflowing with toys kids played games to win. Anyone? It was a Saturday morning staple in my day. How I longed for my parents to take me.
#9
When I was 10 I correctly guessed the weight of a pumpkin and won a packet of giant cabbage seeds. I never got round to planting them. Life has been downhill ever since that peak.
Shetland Tony 2 years ago
Seed god...has to be Zeus ..he used his everywhere
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Cathy Roberts 2 years ago
Mannnn if you'd planted those they prolly would've grown into a giant bean stalk, er, cabbage, that you could climp up through the clouds to steal the giants gold! Didn't you read the directions?!
Goat express 2 years ago
What if they were magic and you grew magic cabbage and you found a golden goose??
#10
Not a game show, but when I worked at a hardware store we got a phone call for help in tools. I was free and grabbed the call. Introduced myself, asked how I could be of help and the customer said they were looking for a 'drill that has a function to help drill through concrete' so I answered a hammer drill, and all these alarms and s**t started going off. The dude on the other end of the call said he was from some radio show about tools, and since I had gotten the answer correctly, he'd send me a pizza. Got a pizza. Was dope.
Due to how much success he's had, Stephen believes that his game show days are behind him. "It's definitely someone else's turn, and I think going back after all the incredible good fortune I had on Temptation and Australia's Brainiest Quizmaster might just be a little bit greedy," he shared. "These days, I'm more interested in sharing all I've learned, through my blog HowToWinGameShows.com. You can find ten years' worth of tips, hints, interviews, behind-the-scenes features and general game show-related information there."
If you're interested in learning more about Stephen or thinking about auditioning for a game show yourself, be sure to check out his blog or his eBook, How To Win Game Shows: Winning Tips, Tactics and Strategies from Game Show Producers, Hosts, Writers... and Champions!
#11
Mine was technically a game show. I remember vividly as I was reading through the disclosure agreements, it was listed as such. I was on a show on CNBC `Make me a Millionaire Inventor." We were episode 1 season 1; the premiere. We had developed a mouthguard that measures the severity and frequency of sport impacts. We ended up "winning" $100,000 investment from the investors and everything worked out. We received the capital and deployed it effectively. We are now a growing company, that helps keep athletes safe around the world. For us it was rather monumental!
Binky Melnik 2 years ago (edited)
This one is VERY cool, as there’s not just one person benefiting from that appearance but potentially millions. I’m off to go read up on “Make Me a Millionaire Inventor.” (It also sounds île a better deal than “Shark Tank.”)
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
This reminds me of the brilliant Aussie show The new inventors from the mid 2000s. So many cool inventions.
#12
Years ago called into a radio show and won two tickets to a cruise through the Bahamas. Only seconds later to be told it was strictly for couples 25 and up. Was extremely disappointed (was like 19 or something) and never understood why
Monday 2 years ago
Some fancy cruises, or even restaurants sometimes, will have a mid-20 age limit to keep things more "upper class". The logic is that by the time you've hit 25 you've got most of the dumb kid energy out of you and have mellowed into adulthood.
Bina Wei 2 years ago
Kinda silly. I'm 25 and still dumb, just without the energy. Not everyone young likes, or can, party too. I get the theory behind it, it just has many pitfalls.
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Marilyn Russell 2 years ago
That’s not fair - they didn’t disclose that during the contest so they should have offered a reasonable replacement prize.
John Topper 2 years ago
A big portion was probably the radio station. They establish a rule like that knowing 90% of its listeners are 14-23 or whatever. They get the audio clip of you winning, but never actually have to pay for the prize.
Marilyn Russell 2 years ago
Is that legal? I wonder. Someone could sue if they reneged.
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Annette Easton 2 years ago
If it was a Bahamas cruise then chances are it was one of those little 3 or 4 day cruises that are run by time share companies. They restrict the recipients for the same reason they restrict the attendees for timeshare stuff - they only want married couples (aka "stable") that are likely able to afford to buy into their timeshares.
StankleBerry 2 years ago
They should have honoured it when they reached the required age. Or provide an alternative equal value prize with no age restriction.
Panda Kicki 2 years ago
I was in a radio show 20 years ago and won a trip to Russia to fly a MIG-21. That was totally awesome. The company Incredible Adventures was at a run down military base that rented out space to make some cash. Had I been told I was too young I would have been furious, was under 25 then.
Hammer Bear 2 years ago
That's like when I won a lawn mower in Daytona! I was on a trip for my church, entered a raffle, and won. They asked me how old I was on the phone though, and I told them 17, they said aw sucks to suck you got to be 18. My dad was ready to drive and pick it up, it was a sick riding lawn mower. I'm still upset about that.
Robert A Reider Jr 2 years ago
I was at a Mexican restaurant for Cinco de Mayo. They raffled off a trip for two to a resort in Mexico. Nobody came forward when they called the first number so they picked another, mine. Just as I approached the stage "LA Jolla Barbie" came (literally) bouncing up. "Sorry, sorry I was out back" she apologized...and they gave it to her of course.
#13
I won the showcase on the price is right. It was the spring break episode so it was only college students. It was my senior year of college. Winning a new car and a bunch of other stuff made the last semester of college awesome. It's s been 9.5 years and I still drive the car. So I guess it's changed my life in that I've never had car payments.
tabithapaquette98 2 years ago
How much did you have to pay in taxes? I've always heard that when winning prizes the taxes were high.
Frank C 2 years ago
Before you take possession you have to pay the taxes owed from whatever state you live in. So I live in R.I. I would have to pay the 7% sales tax in full before taking possession of say a car I just won.
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To learn even more from a game show expert, we were also lucky enough to get in touch with game show champion and the founder of BuzzerBlog, Cory Anotado. Cory has competed in 5 game shows already: Jep!, Wheel of Fortune, Wowowee, The Chase, and Jeopardy! So we were curious what this expert's thoughts on the programs were.
"Game shows are intertwined with the history of television. Some of the very first television programs ever were game shows!" he explained. "They’re a mainstay in many cultures because people love playing games, and people love watching people play games. From the dramatic highs of someone winning a million dollars on Millionaire, to the lows of someone absolutely saying something stupid on Family Feud, game shows provide all the things people expect from entertainment."
#14
I was on Wheel of Fortune in 2017 and won the bonus round. I ended up with $46,200 and a trip to Cuba. After taxes I made close to $30,000 and the trip was amazing. I was on for Teachers Week and am still treated as the local celebrity around school. Vanna was a doll and Pat is what you would expect.
Ross “Sarcastic Dad” 2 years ago
I expect Pat is secretly a lizard person. So that means I am correct?
Jessica N 2 years ago
Definitely. If you watch show carefully can see him let flies crawl into his mouth instead of waving them off
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Id row 2 years ago
"Pat is what you would expect" A douche? I hear nothing but what a miserable bastard he is.
J_Dub 2 years ago
I was on back in 2010. He was fine but didn't interact with us at all outside of on camera versus Vanna came by when she first arrived and chatted with all of us and was really nice.
Load More Replies... tmw 2 years ago
how did a usa game show give away a trip to cuba, a country they've had in embargo for decades?
J_Dub 2 years ago
Probably nerves. When you're on the show (at least from my one experience) it's hard not to be worried about being the person who guesses an obvious one wrong.
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Andy Frobig 2 years ago
It's Jeopardy where you have to phrase it as a question
Load More Replies... #15
Not me, but my parents were on the "Newlywed Game" in the early 80s and won!
I guess beforehand, there was a list of items they were given and they were supposed to pick 3 of the prize items and put them in order of their 1st choice down to their 3rd. They had just moved into their first house and really needed a washer and dryer, so they put that first (and assumed that's what they would end up with if they won), and for the 3rd choice they put a new pop-up tent trailer with camping supplies (something my mom definitely did NOT want lol)
Wellllll... they ended up with the pop-up tent trailer and camping supplies. On the video you can see my mom visibly upset they didn't get the washer and dryer hahaha poor mom.
Anyway, they didn't receive their prize until their episode aired and they had to go pick it up themselves down in Los Angeles or pay a hefty price to have the prize delivered (they chose to pick it up themselves). They then incurred costs to upgrade my mom's car to an SUV with a tow hitch for the trailer.
All in all, it ended up being a great prize because they kept it for 12 years, which included the first 8 years of my life. We took a lot of great family camping trips in that little trailer with some amazing memories made. My mom didn't totally hate it, but she eventually made my dad sell it and upgrade to a bigger trailer with it's own bathroom and shower haha
Marilyn Russell 2 years ago
As far as I know, if you win on the Price is Right, you have to go pick up the prizes as well. That would be a pain in the a*s if you lived far away for sure. Guess you could rent a U-Haul and make a family trip out of it.
#16
I won the top prize ($500) on a quiz show called Inquizition. This was around 1999. The check arrived right before my car registration was due, which was helpful because I had just lost my job.
When it comes to giving out great prizes, Cory says one show in particular has changed the game. "The one game show on modern television that has absolutely transformed the art of prizes is Press Your Luck on ABC. Hosted by Elizabeth Banks, the new modern Press Your Luck contains a bonus round in which the player attempts to Beat The Whammy by using all their spins against a Big Board filled with not only cash and whammies, but personalized prizes catered to the contestant that won the game," the expert explained. "Dream cars, fantasy trips, multitudes of their favorite candies or foods—the notion that the prizes are specifically catered to the contestant playing hasn’t been done this successfully ever."
#17
My girlfriend and I were on Shop Til You Drop and won big. I still use the dishes every day. The trip (trips? It was a long time ago) I won was decent. I paid the taxes on my winnings with a check before leaving the lot. It took months and months for all the deliveries to come in, which was weird. I sold off some of it, used a lot of it, and can’t find the episode anywhere. How did it help my life? The producer became a friend of ours and helped me propose to my gameshow partner girlfriend and we’re still happily married 15 years later.
TrippyBanana 2 years ago
I loved Shop Til You Drop and would have loved to be a contestant. That and the grocery shopping game.
#18
My brother won $15,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in 2009. It's funny 'cause we were both on the show in November (I was in the audience), but we didn't get the check until February. Then, we got a letter from "The Executives of ABC" or some arbitrary name like that with a check for 15-large. Since my brother and I were only used to cashing our checks at check-cashing places, that's exactly where we brought it. They charged us $100 and we got $14,900 in 100s, 50s, and 20s.
As soon as we got home, my brother dumped all the money on the bed and rolled around in it. Quite possibly one of the only times in my life where I'll be able to do that with that much money. We also blew like $2000 at the mall, just like dumb kids.
Monday 2 years ago
I think if you win a large amount of money it should be a rule to blow a percentage of it like a dumb kid. Just take a small chunk of it and do whatever the hell you feel like doing. People underestimate exactly how much just doing what you want without worrying about consequences can improve your mood.
Vix Spiderthrust 2 years ago
I once heard a contestant who was up for winning £10k say "It's not enough to do something clever with, but it's enough to do something stupid with".
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Jessica N 2 years ago
I did the same with 16,000 life insurance payout at 21. Got it all in cash, rolled around on it. Prepaid my living expenses for a few months, bought an almost new car for 6k, then took my sister and best friend shopping and bought whatever we wanted at the mall. It was the best spring-summer of my life so far, just friends, fishing, concerts etc. I like to think my dad would have been happy seeing that I spent it on time with loved ones
Junebugjump! 2 years ago
I would TOTALLY roll around if I had that much cash AND would get a ‘Make it Rain’ gun that shoots dollar 💵 💸 💵!!!
#19
One of my parents won £500,000 on a game show in 2012. Before this parent went on the show we had been served an eviction notice from the rented house we were in; needless to say they bought a lovely house and it was the first time I ever had a nice bedroom to decorate. Being on the property ladder changed their lives drastically and now they’ve moved to the upside down place (from the UK) and they’re living their best life.
Edit: for people getting asking about the pronouns it was a protection of identity is all.
The show was called red or black. It was cancelled not long after
Yes I meant Australia, no it wasn’t bought; they had to prove their societal worth
Monday 2 years ago
Why would people ask about pronouns here? Does it matter if it was a mother or father that won?
Ross “Sarcastic Dad” 2 years ago
Yes, because in America, we would only have to pay the mother 85% of what we would the father. (not a great joke, but it's really hard to make a wage gap joke....)
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Jake Lewis 2 years ago
I'm so confused. Do people in the UK call Australia the upside down place?
Spencer's slave 2 years ago
It means buying your first house ie starting on the bottom rung of the ladder.
Load More Replies... Bina Wei 2 years ago
Nope. Dollars. And AUD specifically which is significantly more than USD a bit (<said with the pain of buying from the US). British use pounds though and that's what OP is, British. Maybe Aussie too if they lived in Aus.
Load More Replies... Cory also has some wise words for anyone considering going on a game show. "If you are an American and going on a game show, don’t do it to get rich quick or to get out of dire straits—the taxes will eat up a lot of your winnings and chances are you won’t be left with much more than 30 minutes of memories," he explained. "If that’s okay with you, then get on a game show and have the time of your life. It’s such a unique and fun experience that I recommend anyone who wants to should definitely try. And if you need help getting on a game show, read the BuzzerBlog guide How To Get On A Game Show."
While Cory has plenty of game show experience already, he says he would absolutely be interested in participating in another. "Out of the game shows currently on the air, I know I could win the top prize on GSN’s Split Second—trivia is right up my alley," he shared.
#20
A friend of mine won one of the last episodes aired of The Weakest Link. It was an episode where they were supposed to be look alikes of the host😂 she won 100k! She was wanting to be able to stay home with her kids and this allowed her to do that. She homeschools her six kids now and is just such a happy, sweet lady!
#21
My brother was on pyramid in 77 or 78, he got a lifetime of rice a roni. It was a case of like 48 boxes every year for like 3 years. We got a letter that the show was going off air and out of the rice a roni business. Cut us right off.
P.S. my wife said it was a show called $25000 dollar pyramid.
80 Van 2 years ago
Maybe they just assumed that if you are 48 boxes of Rice-A-Roni each year, your lifespan would only be 3 more years.
Nicky Shrimps 2 years ago
Almost 1 box per week for 3 years. I hope they sent a variety of flavors! I still like the stuff, good for the price.
#22
I was on "Let's Make a Deal" in 2016 and I won a new car. It was actually perfect timing because my old car was on its last legs and I had started saving for a new one, then I won a new one and the money I had saved paid the fees and stuff.
I won the car in August but didn't actually get it until November when the episode aired, but they drove it to my apartment and had me sign the deed and it was all pretty painless. I had heard rumors throughout life about winning on gameshows "costing you" and things like that, I guess because I already had some money saved for fees and taxes it ended up really painless. Got a brand new car work 16k for about 3k in fees and stuff. Totally worth it and would totally recommend it!
Here's a tip: If you ever go to one of those game shows that pick contestants out of the audience, they have a producer briefly interview EVERYONE (usually in groups) beforehand, and as long as you're lively without being theatrical, and seem interesting without being crazy, you have a good shot at being picked. When the producer was interviewing the 20 member slot of audience members I was grouped with, he asked everyone their name and what they did and one interesting fact about themselves. And one random guy who desperately wanted to be on TV started doing the worm there in the interview area. You could immediately see on the producer's face that though he was forcing laughter, that's definitely not what they're looking to put on TV. Loose cannons are a big no go.
Kevin the Manager 2 years ago
Thanks for the advice! I am good at word puzzles, and I would like to be on Wheel of Fortune. I will definitely shoot for the middle ground between drab and zany!
tabithapaquette98 2 years ago
That is cool that you won a car. But $3000 is a lot of money. I'm glad that you had it.
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
My dad has applied for Who wants to be a Millionaire and other shows but has never been picked, despite doing well on the general knowledge test. Think it's because he doesn't have a good enough story/skill.
"To aspiring game show contestants: be personable, be energetic, and be 125% genuinely you," Cory told Bored Panda. "Once you get the call to be on a game show, understand that from that call to the end of the game, you should pay attention and work on STRATEGY. If it’s a Trivia show, I’m sorry to break it to you, but chances are you’re not going to learn anything new in the time between the call and the taping. So work on the strategy of the game the best you can."
If you'd like to learn more about Corey or the wild world of game shows, be sure to visit BuzzerBlog right here!
#23
My grandmother was Queen For A Day. It’s an older game show. She won a new living room set. Pretty nice for the times.
Elle Roque 2 years ago
The best episode of this show was a Holocaust survivor who wanted her tattoo removed. https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/unhappy-wife-happy-life-the-show-that-made-women-queen-for-a-day/
Marilyn Russell 2 years ago
I wonder how they would remove such a tattoo back then? Maybe just excision.
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My “in my head” Voice 2 years ago
I used to work with a woman who won Queen for a day in the 60s. She won a new wardrobe. I knew her in the late 80s, and she was still wearing her outdated QFAD wardrobe.
Historyharlot93 2 years ago
My mom said this was a sick show. All the women had disturbing and traumatic experiences to share. Mom remembers one lady won because her brother had been shot in the back and was paralyzed. She won a hospital bed and a fashionable wardrobe from some Beverly Hills store. She often wondered where that woman from an Alabama farm would be wearing a full length designer evening dress, but you never know, right?
Cerridwn d'Wyse 2 years ago
I actually remember that show I don't remember very much about it but I remember my mother watching it
Steve Robert 2 years ago
Probably one of the most degrading shows in history. The lady with the saddest life story would win if the audience clapped loud enough for her!
sofacushionfort 2 years ago (edited)
The premise of the show: reward the woman contestant with the saddest sob story (by volume of audience applause). I once met an artist whose mom won a washing machine with her tales of raising him as a troubled kid (skillfully alluding to but not censorably stating outright that he was gay).
#24
When I was about ten, there was a gameshow on Spanish TV where you would call in to play the game. My mom and I got through one night and won a grocery store certificate for $100. We were so excited as this was big money in the eighties. We get to the store, by bus, and do our shopping. We get to the register and let the check out person know we won the prize and she tells us the manager isn’t there and that we would need to come back another day for verification. My mom explains that we arrived by bus and how it is difficult to make the trip again. I remember feeling so sad. Thankfully, another employee at the supermarket stepped in and let us take the groceries home. I still remember the feeling of relief when he allowed us to do that.
Nicky Shrimps 2 years ago
$100 in groceries in the 80s was life changing! I'm so glad you got them on that trip!
Marilyn Russell 2 years ago
Yeah, that would buy a lot back then so how could they take it all home by bus? Crazy.
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Jill Sadler 2 years ago
Im so glad the other employee knew what to do. That sort of ache is something you never forget.
#25
My girlfriend (now wife) won a year's supply of pizza as a consolation prize on the Price is Right. Only problem was we live in California and the pizzeria was in New York. So what did they do? You guessed it, they shipped the pizzas via regular delivery (not even overnight) from New YORK to our apartment in California. When the pizzas got there they were often three or four days old, and were not refrigerated, thus moldy and disgusting. After about a week of this we contacted the show and they agreed to a "cash value" of just over $100 (far less than the value of the pizzas). Ever since then I have had a dislike for the Price is Right.
Binky Melnik 2 years ago
I’m still trying to imagine a pizzeria manager who thinks mailing a pizza is a good idea. What an asshat.
Gavin Johnson 2 years ago
Given the size of the U.S., why would you (as a show producer) have such a prize? Even if you chose a pizza chain that’s in every city or major town the chances that a contestant is near to one is slim. If you are going to offer pizza for a year then you have a decent frozen pizza brand and get sent vouchers surely?
Sylvia Baker 2 years ago
Why couldn't the show just hook up with their local pizza place... that's pretty sad.
Binky Melnik 2 years ago (edited)
Also (again, in case people don’t know): It is the companies whose products are featured on the show as prizes who pay for the production of the show. It’s kinda genius, really. They pay a fee to have their products featured (that’s why, when the product shows up, the hosts gives a quick sales talk about the item, hitting the high points). This is advertising for the companies, and the revenue pays for the production of the show. Game shows are cheap to produce for this very reason, and it’s a win/win for the companies and the producers.
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Bhadrika Love 2 years ago
I'd set it up to deliver to a local school or hospital or something. Not let them get off the hook.
Rose C. Walker 2 years ago
I'm really surprised they didn't just make an arrangement with a local-to-you pizza place!
Nykky 2 years ago
The price is right has always seemed cheap to me. Game shows always make me feel like I'm watching a pig with a carrot on a stick anyways and it makes me feel gross, so I don't do it, but one of the things that annoys me is that the trips they choose are always to some sandy beach somewhere...that, or it's wheel of fortune I'm thinking of
#26
I was on a Game Show called "Let's Ask America" in 2013 and I ended up winning $24,000. It was so insanely surreal and I couldn't believe I had actually won that amount of money until after the show aired and they sent me a physical check in the mail. It was absolutely life changing for me. I was 26 at the time of filming and had been working 3 jobs (marketing firm, restaurant, bar) just to get by in and otherwise s****y economy. I wasn't exactly drowning in debt or anything, more so just getting by pay check to pay check. I also didn't mind working at all. It was just that I had all these travel plans that I was constantly dreaming about. I pretty much felt like I was in this constant cycle in which I could never really save much. So, when I received this relatively large sum of money, I decided to sell everything and plan out some travels. I ended up getting a one year work & holiday for Australia and arrived here in 2014 with nothing but a backpack and a duffel bag. My experience has been nothing short of amazing. I ended up finding work at a marketing agency within my first week here and they went on to sponsor me. (side note: I made way more at that firm in an initial entry level role than I did a the agency back in the US). Six years later, I have tripled my income since arriving here and now have a great role at an agency I love. I'm now a permanent resident of Australia and have about 6 months until I can apply for citizenship. Since living in Australia, I've been to 12 different countries which for some reason always felt impossible when I was living back home. I've just loved my overall experience and am so grateful that those winnings were the catalyst for it. [Winning Clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVc_2dlXLNk) "Let's Ask America" Bonus: I ended up on the Australian version of "The Chase" but didn't win any money on that one haha.
Kevin the Manager 2 years ago
This is a fantastic example of "you get out of it what you put into it," which was one of my Grandpa's favorite sayings! Congratulations on how everything has worked out for you!
bottomless.abyss.of.bordem 2 years ago
Thank you for 1. Including the clip 2. Not giving a poor me, I won free money story
Gavin Johnson 2 years ago
‘Let’s ask America’, what would you ask America? I’m pretty sure that all the decent questions would get wildly different answers depending on where you asked the questions!
#27
My mom and I went to The Price is Right and my mom got called down, got onstage, and won her game. She did not win her wheel spin unfortunately. But she won $10,000 cash from her game so that was pretty good. Can’t complain about winning a bunch of cash. I think about 30-40% went to taxes.
#28
Was the closest guess in a "Sweets in the jar" game at our local Community Centre. I won a hamper of wine, cheeses and crackers. I was 9.
Kevin the Manager 2 years ago
If anything screams "9-year-old" more than the basics of a charcuterie board, I don't know what it is.
Ross “Sarcastic Dad” 2 years ago
When my daughters were around that age, we were running low on groceries, so I told them, "I guess we're just doing a smorgasbord tonight." Youngest groaned and said, "I hate eating that.", which proves your kids will find any reason to complain, lol.
Load More Replies... tabithapaquette98 2 years ago
We used to do the guess how many games at work Christmas partys. You just won what was in the jars. One year, I won both! One was M&Ms . I can't remember what was in the other one. But I (unfortunately) love sweets , so that was cool.
Sunny Day 2 years ago
I got the m&m's jar, too! I still use the jar to hold my chocolate stash in my desk drawer
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Ellie Ahmed 2 years ago
Snap. I remember winning a carnival game at our local community house when I was about 10 or 11 (I think it might have been where you bought a raffle ticket and then they'd draw jars full of stuff as prizes). I won a jar stuffed with about 15 tea bags. I did not drink tea. Neither did anyone in my family. That jar sat in the pantry for years until we threw it out when we moved. PS. I'm a tea drinker now as an adult, but still wouldn't touch the tea brand they used for the prize. At least my couple of dollars went to a good cause.
#29
I won $1600 on Cash Cab. Who would have thought that knowing the name of George Clooney's pet pig would prove to actually be useful someday?
We were given "money" on the show, but after filming wrapped, the producers took it back and the money was sent to us after the episode aired. None of our earnings were taxed because this wasn't in the US.
liam newton-harding 2 years ago (edited)
Ben Bailey, the host of New York's 'Cash Cab' is also a stand up comedian, and tells a wonderful story about getting into a road rage incident, while filming the show. Stuck in front of a white van, at a red light, the driver is honking, and honking...and honking. Ben gets out to "discuss the situation" with the other driver. The crew, and the police safety officer are watching, Ben turns back to his taxi, to see the ecstatic faces of his contestants looking out the rear window, enjoying the best day of their vacation.
Binky Melnik 2 years ago
What? What country does it take lace in? I coulda sworn it was in NYC and keep my eye open for it. I’ve been wasting my attention span? Oh: Is it maybe in Canada? Or are there several versions of the show in other countries?
Susan Green 2 years ago (edited)
It’s here in Canada. The locations are Vancouver and Toronto Edit: It was filmed in NYC, but ended after 9 episodes. It’s no longer filmed in Canada either, it ended after 8 seasons.
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#30
My mom got on (and won) Wheel of Fortune. I’ll try to be vague to protect her identity.
Per the show, she officially won an all expense paid trip to a country I won’t list, a (at the time) brand new infinity (2010 range) and like $25,000 cash.
She said she was required to pay tax on the car, which was several thousand dollars up front that she just had to pay as her game show winnings took a while to arrive so she couldn’t use that. She took out a short term loan using the car as collateral to pay that tax. She sold the car, paid off the loan, and kept the difference.
Something they don’t tell you is how heavily taxed income from game shows is; I remember her only keeping a few grand out of her 25k. She did, however, get to keep most of the money from selling the car AND the trip to a foreign country was legit (including the spending cash they give you when you’re out there). Overall, she used the money to pay off some debts and lived basically the same after the show (minus some debt and with the added life experience in another country).
For any wheel of fortune fans, she said Pat is short in person, that everyone stands on pedestals to make them appear identical in height, and that Vanna White is extremely nice.
Carrie Laughs 2 years ago (edited)
They don't tax winnings in all countries. Seems rough to do so in the US.
Jake Lewis 2 years ago
Yeah we broke off from the UK complaining about taxation, then came up with a whole bunch of creative new ways to tax ourselves. USA!! USA!! USA... usa...
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Xenia Harley 2 years ago
Any "windfall" is heavily taxed! settlement pushed me into a higher income bracket, was not anticipating this! Lawyer did not know what he was doing bc it could have been worded differently, and not resulted in like 30-40% taxes on it!
#31
I had just gotten fired/unemployed 1990 or so and I was chilling at home. I called in on a radio show Quiz style game and I won two tickets to the symphony in town for their Christmas show. Drama ensues... So I’m pumped because I have no cash and this is going to be the Christmas present for my girlfriend/ soon to be wife, big secret, waiting to the tickets in the mail as the date arrives... nothing! I call the radio station they say the tickets are in the mail. I quiz my roommate, nothing... a week or so later I have to carry the trash to the curb and grab the first jacket I come too, it’s my roommate’s. f*****g stubs for the symphony orchestra in the pocket. I couldn’t believe it, he had intercepted the mail. He was the Jealous sort but it’s not like I was a shining star with two nickels in my pocket no job. I know he did it to make me look bad. I’ll be honest it was a real kick in the gut. Betrayed for perhaps the only time in my life maliciously by a so-called friend.
tabithapaquette98 2 years ago
OMG! What a freaking jerk! I'm so sorry that you had an ah as a roommate.
#32
My mom was on Jeopardy! in 1991 and got no money but won: a cellphone (huge 90s cellphone that you plug into your cat) a year's supply of centrum silver (one of the show's sponsors, a vitamin for men) a blender that immediately broke EDIT: not gonna change it
JesseyM 2 years ago
I love the edit! I didn't notice that it said cat until them.
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tabithapaquette98 2 years ago
I don't think my cats would be too happy with me if I plugged anything into them! Lol
Binky Melnik 2 years ago
In imagining a “cellphone that you plug into your cat,” I can only see one possible port, and while I don’t like imagining it, I’m laughing anyway at the look on the cat’s face: 😳
Sunny Day 2 years ago
Com'ere Fluffy! I need to make a call! Mrrrrroooowww!
Load More Replies... #33
I won the grand prize on this game show called Beat The Geeks that was on Comedy Central. This was back in like 2003 or so. The grand prize was a trip to the Cannes film festival as part of Troma Films. Turns out my contact person at Troma who was supposed to pick me up and take me to the group had quit a week prior and did not leave a follow up plan for me. So my first night ever in a foreign country I was all alone and there were pretty much no rooms available. I was always kind of a pushover and never really stood up for myself, but I instantly became a 'don't take no for an answer' kid, and after walking around town for a while I found a fancy a*s hotel and talked my way into getting one of the rooms. I went out, I got food, I got wine, I smoked French cigarettes, and I laughed with the greatest sense of pride and confidence I've ever had in my life. I later met up with the team, took a day trip to Monaco, met friends I still talk to from all around the world, and almost got arrested while dressed up as the Toxic Avenger doing some guerilla parading on the main street with these crazy dudes from Baltimore. The other prizes, like the DVDs and the TV, were great but this one...this one made me feel alive.
Amy Taylor 2 years ago
Lol I worked on some Troma movies early in my career… let’s just say that when I got my paycheck, I would take it to their bank and cash it immediately instead of just depositing it, lol.
#34
I won Jeopardy twice. ALL OF US ARE ON REDDIT ALL THE TIME. To expand a bit on what others have already said, after you win they pull you aside and make you sign triplicate carbon receipts for the money you won. It's a really weird day - going from exhausted shambling at 5 am to THE MOST ADRENALINE IMAGINABLE to bureaucracy to walking around shell-shocked but it's still two hours to dinner-time. Bonus: I just poked around the Sony Pictures lot for a bit and bumped into Ron Howard in a bathroom.
#35
My mom bought her, my friends, and I tickets to a nickelback concert 10 years ago for my 15th birthday. The band sick puppies was one of their openers and they had a giveaway when they were playing. The lead singer said text this number and you could win a free guitar. Of course everyone texted it. 30 seconds later my phone buzzes saying Congratulations! You win! So that was pretty cool. Got to meet a band I’ve rarely listened to before that night but hey I got a free autographed electric guitar from them
MakeupMama68 2 years ago
My 14 year old daughter recently won a raffle at the Punk Rock Swap Meet… it was a bass guitar 🎸 and she decided to learn how to play it so we put her in lessons. She loves it!
Gavin Johnson 2 years ago
When she’s in a band and making a fortune 😀 she’ll have to do a raffle for one of her signature bass guitars 😀 keep the luck moving forward!
Load More Replies... #36
Won on a radio game show. 2 tickets to a festival I couldn't attend and headphones worth a grand total of €7,50. Life hasn't been the same since.
#37
About $60K on The $100,000 Pyramid. Got a check in the mail about 2 weeks after the show aired. They tell you beforehand (and you have to sign a paper confirming your understanding), that they do not have to pay you your winnings if the show gets cancelled and your episodes are never broadcast. I don't recall a lot of tax withholding, but you do have to declare the winnings just like regular income, so you're taxed on it at the same rate your other income is taxed. The bummer is that applies to both cash and prizes, so if you win a $5,000 cruise, it's still gonna cost you a few grand in taxes. Thus, when you walk off the stage at the end of the show, the contestant coordinator has a list of the prizes you won, and you can waive your right to any of them to avoid the tax bill. (In the old days of "Wheel of Fortune", the contestant won an amount of money in each round, and then had to go "shopping" from a gallery of prizes with pretty high prices, so they ended up with no cash but a lot of useless crap that they had to pay taxes on. Due to contestant complaints, they did away with that part of the game and now you get to keep the money you win. Check YouTube to see some of those.) Finally, the secret treasure you win are the "parting gifts". They mention them quickly during the end credits, but your find a package on your doorstep every few days from the most random companies. I got about 50 coupons for free bags of kitty litter (gave them to classmates who had cats), a vacuum cleaner, a clock radio, a case of Hormel Chili, and a check for $25 from a denture cream company. And because they are considered promotional items, there's no tax on those.
#38
Not strictly a gameshow, but I won a contest on early itv kids television around aged 11. This was the time that laptops were just starting to come out and get big, and thus when the prize was a laptop I decided to enter. The question was something to do with the cartoon version of tarzan, and I won. The picture showed a brand new laptop. When it arrived, it was a leapfrog learning laptop aimed for 6 year olds. I was 11. And batteries weren't included
#39
When I was in first grade I correctly answered a question about dinosaurs on our local news station. I won a life time supply of meat from the local butcher. Every month my family got a styrofoam ice chest filled with steaks and sausages. This went on for a good 4 or 5 years until the butcher went out of business. Edit: I forgot to mention that we also got a barbecue pit. Also we got a bag of charcoal with each ice chest of meat. Edit 2: Getting messages that the contest prize is what put the butcher out of business. That's not how it works. It's not like the butcher gave it away for free. It was paid for by the sponsors of the contest.
#40
We were on "Family Feud" twice, when Richard Dawson was the host. The first time, we did not go to the final round. For the next year, we received things like car care products, dish soap, bug spray and a half dozen other things. The stuff trickled in over time. The second time, we made it to the final round. We didn't make it to 200 points. We received $800 or something like that. I highly recommend the experience of auditioning and participating in a television game show. It was a great family experience.
Binky Melnik 2 years ago
We now know that if OP had a hot sister, mother, or aunt, Dawson woulda tried to bone her (and maybe did, as he often got lucky).
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#41
A family friend won a lifetime supply supply of tic-tacs off of Match Game in the '70s as a consolation prize. She said they sent her one box a month for about a year and stopped. She was okay with that.
#42
I won $15,000 on Millionaire (with Meredith, not Regis).
I kept $11,200. I had to wait 4 months for the episode to air and another month after that to get paid.
Went to England and did a few smaller travel things with it, and then used it to rack up as little debt as possible in Grad School.
Crescent 3 2 years ago
I won 16K on Millionaire with Meredith. As I recall I got about 12K take home. It was just enough to clear up some debt, buy a good used car with cash, and take the family on a trip to Disney World.
#43
I won a consultation prize on The Price is Right and it was supposed to be a gift card to some spa and a weird brand MP3 player (2010). The spa was in LA and I didn’t live there so I don’t know if that’s why this happened, but they instead sent me 4 MP3 players. It actually did help my life because I sold them MP3 players online and bought all my Christmas gifts with the money.
Russell Rieckenberg 2 years ago
They should have consulted you before posting.
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#44
Price is Right showcase winner back in 1997. $35k in random stuff, kept the high end personalized sized golf clubs, sold the travel trailer, car, and the stove. Selling the items more than made up for the taxes, I'd say I walked away with $25k and a set of clubs. It was a nice little boost to my house down payment, avoided PMI.
#45
Not me, But Best Friend .....
Friday Night, Very VERY drunk, (he no memory for about a 4-6 hours) lots of drugs, generally a complete fun mess.
So he wakes up in the morning, with the worlds worst hangover, he proceeds to sit in front of his Sky box, and chillax, during the course of the day he looks at his recorded shows only to see a new recording from the night before.
So watching the recording, its a call in game show. The aim of the game was to guess 1 of 10 answers but the question was completely random like "there is a knock at the door who is it?" aka pure luck really.
In his Drunk state, he called in (via work to avoid the perm number) and made a guess, he said "gas man" the result? he won £6000.
So my friend with the worst hangover of his life, is sitting in front of his TV watching himself win 6k, they put the money in his account that day, win win.
He then spent it on a brand new plasma TV! (this was a while ago)
BakedKahuna 2 years ago
That's way better then getting a phone call from a random ons he had while being p**s drunk with the announcement that he's going to be a dad soon
#46
Canadian - Won $3600 on Wheel of Fortune in 1995. After the completion of the taping of the show - we are hustled into a side room where we have the option to accept or decline any of the winnings and prizes we get. On the advice of my accountant - I was told to accept everything. Canadian tax law classifies game show winnings as lottery winnings and are tax-exempt. However IRS still takes their cut. Lost about 1/3 to IRS - but can be reclaimed in the form of a US tax credit against any future US earnings I may have. CA state lottery commission takes a chunk as well. Anyway - we are told that we would be responsible for shipping and duty on all parting gifts. Was also advised that the final cheque would be sent after the last of the parting gifts had been claimed. 'No problem', I thought. "When will I ever do this again." PROBLEM! Each of the parting gifts was shipped to me independently of the others, and the shipping, and freight forwarding fees bordered on usury. First to arrive was a Dirt Devil Dust Buster - along with a UPS charge of $65. Probably could have wandered down to WalMart and picked one up for $35. Next to arrive was a three piece toddler's clothing set. Admittedly, a nice little sweater, shirt and pant set - but hardly worth the $38 in shipping and cross border brokerage fees. The facial cleanser and loofah sponge were next - a snip at just $29. Cried a bit on the inside when I found the exact product (complete with a bonus facial toner) for $11 at a drug store in town. The gift certificates for the four bottles of sleeping pills came without by standard mail - but were only valid for redemption in the USA. The best was the item I had believed to be a SunBeam bread maker. I was surprised when the UPS driver showed up and only asked for $27 in brokerage and shipping fees. Seemed like a pretty good deal - until I opened the box and discovered two loaves of SunBeam bread...or something that resembled that. They'd been held up in a brokerage warehouse for three weeks, and were more suitable for a 'science project" than a "sandwich" The last of my prizes having arrived - I did receive the cheque soon thereafter. Last little bonus - UPS driver made one last trip - with another $65 tab. Not sure what it could be as all of the gift had been accounted for. By error - a second Dirt Devil Dust Buster - FML 19 years later - still a good party story.
#47
My grandma won a yellow 69 Camaro SS on Let’s Make a Deal. They had to sell it so they could buy a station wagon. My dad would tell me and my little brother that story and how broken-hearted Grandpa was every time we saw a yellow camaro.
#48
My family and I were the last family to win $10,000 on Family Feud back in 2000 when Louis Anderson was the host. We were the third show of five on the last day of taping for the season, and the two families behind us didn't win the $10,000, and they began the next season with a $20,000 prize. (We were also on the show when winners weren't allowed to come back and repeat, which sucks). We taped the show in October and our show didn't air until February. We were told to keep the result under wraps but of course we told all our family and friends about it. We didn't receive the money until April, since I guess they had to "make money" from our show before they paid us or something. But they auto split the prize for us, and sent me and my four family members $2000 each and a W-2 form at the end of the year. I made a photocopy of the check before I cashed it but I don't know where it is. I was only 18 when we won so that was like a huge deal to me, and I bought a computer and a few other things for myself for my upcoming college education. Our video was on YouTube for a while but someone took down our video. I still have my own copy of the video on my computer here but I've never really gotten around to uploading it and I don't want to have to deal with NBC crawling up my ass about posting copyrighted material or anything. It was a lot of fun, though.
#49
My old boss won on GSN's "Trivial Pursuit" show while that was still on the air. He said the person that won in the taping just before his got a trip to Jamaica, so he was looking forward to a tropical vacation. Imagine his surprise when they announced he'd won an all-expenses-paid trip... to San Antonio. In his words: "After you've gone to Six Flags, you know what's fun to do? Pack your shit and leave."
Vix Spiderthrust 2 years ago (edited)
The UK version of Trivial Pursuit from the 1990s had similarly lame prizes. One lucky winner was told he'd won an all-inclusive weekend break...in Belfast. He told the host he couldn't go. Turned out the winner had been undercover police during the Troubles and if he went back to Belfast there was a good chance he'd be force-fed his own knees.
tabithapaquette98 2 years ago
Well, you can go see the Alamo! And river walk. My in-laws live there. I went once. 4th of July weekend, hot as h*"l and my husband has to look at every single artifact in the Alamo! I was about to have a heatstroke! Fun times!
#50
Won 1st place in a singing contest sponsored by a local radio station. Scored me $500 cash and bought a new guitar. I had the chance to go to the state fair and compete on a larger stage with a chance to win studio time and some more $, but declined as my talent ends at little old ladies in nursing homes and church and toddlers. They're my core audience.
#51
An old friend of mine was a contestant on Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego on PBS waaay back in grade school. He won a trip to [somewhere with palm trees, I cant remember] for his family. Hardly life changing. Still kinda cool.
#52
Not a game show but I won a new truck through the GM/Onstar Hot button contest. Was there to fix their email and while waiting for them to finish lunch I won a truck. Had a car so didn't need the truck. Sold it for $18,000, paid ~$4k in taxes, paid off $10k in debt and blew 4K on fun stuff. Was really nice. Giving my girlfriend $1000 to do what ever she wanted was really cool. Felt like a baller.
#53
I was on U-Pick Live on Nickelodeon once as a kid. They were about to wrap up the season before the summer started so they were travelling around a bit and did one week of shows in Orlando, FL where coincidentally my dad was taking my brother and I. At the front gate there was a group of people handing out tickets to get into the screening like they were bibles or something. I begged my dad to let us get them and then I had to beg him again later to let us go and watch the show. Then when we're there "Pick Boy" comes out and everybody is raising their hands to be picked and screaming, I STAND UP and put both hands in the air and shout. He points at me, I point at myself, he nods, and I run down to the set. They introduce me and ask me what door I wanted to pick from the prize wall. I think I had a chance at winning a "can of cash" which, as the name implies, was a trash can full of money of an undisclosed denomination. I didn't get that but I got a gamecube, which was not bad at all. The sucky parts were: it took like 4 months for them to ship it to me and I lost the tape of the show pretty quickly after I got it.
#54
Not really a "game show" but for those who remember Bozo circus, I got to play the Grand Prize Game -- every midwestern child's dream. How did it help my life? For every bucket you hit (out of 6) you get a bunch of toys/gifts. I think I got to bucket #4 or 5 (they're much smaller in person) and we drove home with a car full of toys, games, and Bozo hotdogs. As a child, it was pretty epic. Edit: Thank you for the silver! It makes up for missing bucket #5 and 6 ;)
#55
I won $1200 (split with a friend, so $600 each) on the Canadian version of Cash Cab. Luckily it was in Canada, which has no prize tax, so we were mailed a check for $1200 even (I remember being so dumbfounded when they turned off the cameras and then took away the big wad of cash they had just handed to us. “We’ll mail you a check.”) We were young and dumb, so we blew the money on a 10-day long birthday road trip to NYC and Montreal. It was a great time.
#56
I won so many times on a Sunday morning oldies trivia contest that they finally made a rule that you could only win every 30 days. The strangest thing I won was a pair of cowboy boots. And I didn't wanna be a cowboy.
#57
Won a competition on a radio show, no prize money but was on the radio, their streaming page and met a spice girl, had my 5 mins of fame. so I pretty much peaked after that. Still a fun conversation starter.
#58
A friend of mine, her dad won literally everything on the price is right but ended up only choosing three prizes to keep because of the taxes (a car, a motorcycle and a vacation if I recall). He also had to sign something saying he wouldn’t appear on their show or a number of other shows for 10 years. Not sure if he was “banned” because he was so good or if that’s standard.
#59
I won about 25,000 after taxes. Paid for college. Who wants to be a millionaire. And yes, that's my final answer.
#60
I won 2nd prize in a beauty contest once, won £10.
#61
I won the Double Bubble Bubble Gum Bubble Blowing Contest at my local grocery store when I was 11 and I won a plaque, the bubble measure thing, and a big fat sack of Double Bubble Bubble Gum!
#62
I won 500 bucks on a tv show where you bet you can do something special, and then do it. I used it to go to a magic convention abroad.
#63
From a radio contest so not technically a game show, but I won tickets to a Springsteen concert which included a bus ride to Detroit to see it. The best part was the Bob Seger showed up and played with the band too!
#64
Holy shit a question I can answer! I was on the show "The Substitute" on MTV. Haven't heard of it? No surprise there, it sucked. I won $5000 on the show which was the grand prize, and on camera they handed me a briefcase full of money. The money was fake, though, and if anyone knows anything about money then they would realize the amount of cash in that briefcase would have been significantly more than 5000$. After recording finished they took the briefcase and fake money back and gave all the participants pizza and told us we would receive a check 1-2 months after the episode aired. The way this particular show worked I ended up splitting the $5000 with the other 19 contestants so we all got a check for $100 about four months later. Since the prize money was under $500 for each person none of us had to pay taxes on it.
Binky Melnik 2 years ago
Five thousand split among twenty people is $250 each. (Right?) So there were apparently taxed *heavily* on it.
#65
Won $700 getting a question right on a radio call in show, my parents gave me $100 of it and kept the rest. At the time I was annoyed, as an adult looking back it was because we were flat broke, $100 was an insane amount of money to a 12 year old in the 90's, and the rest went to crazy things like "us being able to eat". So overall not too bad. Oh and when I was 20 I got to stand in a glass tube as a bunch of store vouchers for my local mall zoomed around me and anything I caught I kept. Shoved them all in my shirt and walked away with a few hundred worth.
#66
My grandma won a mirror on the Price is Right. It helped her put on makeup and see how she looked in clothes.
#67
I was on and won a Canadian kids game show called Uh-Oh (with quirky host and active redittor Wink Yahoo) in the 6th grade. In about half an hour’s time I had brown paint water dumped on me twice before nailing a couple speed rounds and taking home the crown. The prize came as advertised, a sweet Sony 3 CD stereo system which served as my alarm clock as well a tool for me to play drums along with my favourite albums for many years. It didn’t help my life necessarily, but what I did learn is that show biz ain’t that glamorous as after taping I saw Wink Yahoo noticeably distraught sucking back multiple darts at once :(
#68
I was on Survivor Palau other than being hungry all the time, the special service you get back at the “ponderosa” camp is amazing, margaritas, unlimited food, whatever you want basically
Binky Melnik 2 years ago
I’m having a hard time reconciling “unlimited food” and “being hungry all the time.” Did OP not partake? (And now I’m not feeling bad for the survivors anymore; they certainly live better than I do!)
Jennifer Smith 2 years ago
hes saying he was hungry when he was ON the show. After he got voted off he couldn't leave the island and was kept at the "ponderosa" where he had unlimited food there.
Load More Replies... #69
Not game shows, but back in the early days of music videos - there was a show on a local PBS channel that showed videos on Friday night - they were weird and groovy. Each week they showed post cards that people sent in - and if they showed your post card, you'd get some free albums. So I sent in a pretty oddball post card I'd draw up, and they showed it. I was called soon thereafter and given a time to come to the studio. I drove up there ( about 30 min. ) and it was a real dump - not surprising. They said I could pick out 3 albums from a pile on a table. The pile was second-rate bands and losers you'd never heard of. I grabbed one of someone I knew - and the other two I don't even remember what they were. - Another time, a radio offered free circus tickets for people who called in - and I was lucky and scored 5 tickets. I gave three away and took my little brother to the circus - but still have to pay for parking and crazy triple-priced sodas.
#70
I was on Who Wants to be a Millionaire in 2017 (taped 2016). My personal goal was to get to $50k and was fairly confident I could do it. Unfortunately, the audience was wrong at the $20k question and I dropped to $5k. I was really upset and waiting 9+ months before I could talk about it was incredibly tough. After taxes, I ended up with about $3,700 and used that to have a really fun time on a girls' trip to Europe and also buy myself a fancy purse.
#71
I was slimed on slime time live. Won a razor scooter and a year subscription of nickelodeon magazine
#72
A friend won a thousand dollars on a quiz show. It wasn't life changing money but it definitely helped. Took something like 9 weeks after the show was filmed for her to get the cash.
#74
I worked with a guy who won MTVs Remote Control. He got a Chevy Probe and some cash. Down side is that when his taxes hit he owed so much money that he had to quit school which is where I met him working at a comic books store. Remember the government considers what you win very taxible.
#75
I won a 4 day ski trip to Steamboat, hotel stay, and concert tickets to Papa Roach from a local radio station. They called me in the morning and I was still sleeping. When they said I won, I responded with "holy s**t that's awesome." Some friends later said they beeped it out and the hosts had a good laugh.
#76
I went to school with a kid who participated in a game show when he was younger. In that game show there was always a boys and a girls team and the winning team would be allowed to go on a time limited shopping spree. Well, anyways, his team supposedly lost and he was getting bullied for it by his classmates for the rest of his school life. Whenever he failed at something he would be reminded that it was just like the time he lost the game show and so on. I was two classes above the guy and even I knew he lost that game show without ever talking to him or his classmates. It was brutal. There is no happy end or anything and he probably hated every second of school. The End.
#77
I won $16,000 on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” After taxes it was around $10k. Having money in the bank was one factor that led to my becoming pregnant with twins 6 months later :).
#78
My parents adopted me when I was a month old. Back in the early 80’s private adoption was expensive. A few months later they got called to be on the show “Fantasy”. Where it’s like make a wish for people who AREN’T dying. I think the show lasted a year or two. But seeing my parents on VHS in an air booth trying to grab paper money wearing aprons was so worth their humiliation.
#79
I won the second episode ever of “elimidate”. I didn’t win anything except a second date with a Hawaiian tropic model. Edit: was episode 8
What do you think ?
Chewie Baron 2 years ago
Years ago, I rang in for a competition to the local commercial radio station (was living in Edinburgh so that would have been Forth FM) to win a Tori Amos video. The question was what was she doing on the album cover of her latest album, the album was ‘Boys for Pele’ and she was breastfeeding a pig. I assumed I must have been the first one to ring in (it was a Sunday evening!) and I won! The DJ then got flustered as she asked what was I doing and told her honestly I was having a bath! A few days later I was asked by a friend of mine if that was me on the radio last Sunday winning a contest in the bath!
Roman Hans 2 years ago
When I was 18 I went on a local LA game show called Crosswits. I was estranged from my family so I had no one in the audience rooting for me while my competitor had a dozen people. Well, I won everything, & she won a case of motor oil. The trips they gave away were for ONE PERSON but they let me use the win as credit with their travel agent. I went to Hawaii & Paris. Having no family, I'd been relatively reclusive, & these trips showed me how spectacular the world is. Dozens of years later I'm still traveling. Thanks to my celeb partner, the very sweet Elaine Joyce!
Id row 2 years ago
Back in the 80's, I won a 10th caller radio contest - using a rotary phone. If you've ever used one, you know what an accomplishment that was. I didn't even care about the prize, it was the winning that was the prize. The oversized cr@ppy Ray Bans they sent me never got used.
Billy Harrelson 2 years ago
My mom used to win so much stuff off the radio (concert tickets, cash, etc.) that they had to start limiting how many times you could win over a 30 day period. Like she had the contest line on speed dial.
Vermonta 2 years ago
When I was 8 my parents made me go to one of my Dad's work functions. My raffle ticket won a prize! We went home with a 2 slice toaster that we didn't need. And then I had milk and cookies. When I was 10 my parents made me participate in local kids golf game. I won a golf ball for best chip shot. And then I had milk and cookies
Sunny Day 2 years ago
Back in the 80s my brother was living in the Midwest. The local TV station was doing a giveaway promo for Wheel of Fortune. During one of the puzzles they'd flash a phone number. First person to dial in with the correct puzzle answer won the daily prize (nothing huge). Well, we lived in the Eastern time zone. And WOF was on an hour earlier for us. So we'd watch it, note the puzzle answers, and call my brother. He just had to get through on the phone line (and we all know how that goes). He ended up winning a kids bicycle. For my 7mo nephew.
ConstantlyJon 2 years ago
my BIL correctly guessed where a cow would s**t at a county fair one time. literally the most insane thing I've ever heard of. Won some cash but not much.
Marilyn Russell 2 years ago
My husband won us tickets from the radio for a John Fogerty concert when we were dating. Had a rocking good time of course.
ADHORTATOR 2 years ago (edited)
I never won anything - but I guess that's because I don' t play/gamble :-)
Chewie Baron 2 years ago
Years ago, I rang in for a competition to the local commercial radio station (was living in Edinburgh so that would have been Forth FM) to win a Tori Amos video. The question was what was she doing on the album cover of her latest album, the album was ‘Boys for Pele’ and she was breastfeeding a pig. I assumed I must have been the first one to ring in (it was a Sunday evening!) and I won! The DJ then got flustered as she asked what was I doing and told her honestly I was having a bath! A few days later I was asked by a friend of mine if that was me on the radio last Sunday winning a contest in the bath!
Roman Hans 2 years ago
When I was 18 I went on a local LA game show called Crosswits. I was estranged from my family so I had no one in the audience rooting for me while my competitor had a dozen people. Well, I won everything, & she won a case of motor oil. The trips they gave away were for ONE PERSON but they let me use the win as credit with their travel agent. I went to Hawaii & Paris. Having no family, I'd been relatively reclusive, & these trips showed me how spectacular the world is. Dozens of years later I'm still traveling. Thanks to my celeb partner, the very sweet Elaine Joyce!
Id row 2 years ago
Back in the 80's, I won a 10th caller radio contest - using a rotary phone. If you've ever used one, you know what an accomplishment that was. I didn't even care about the prize, it was the winning that was the prize. The oversized cr@ppy Ray Bans they sent me never got used.
Billy Harrelson 2 years ago
My mom used to win so much stuff off the radio (concert tickets, cash, etc.) that they had to start limiting how many times you could win over a 30 day period. Like she had the contest line on speed dial.
Vermonta 2 years ago
When I was 8 my parents made me go to one of my Dad's work functions. My raffle ticket won a prize! We went home with a 2 slice toaster that we didn't need. And then I had milk and cookies. When I was 10 my parents made me participate in local kids golf game. I won a golf ball for best chip shot. And then I had milk and cookies
Sunny Day 2 years ago
Back in the 80s my brother was living in the Midwest. The local TV station was doing a giveaway promo for Wheel of Fortune. During one of the puzzles they'd flash a phone number. First person to dial in with the correct puzzle answer won the daily prize (nothing huge). Well, we lived in the Eastern time zone. And WOF was on an hour earlier for us. So we'd watch it, note the puzzle answers, and call my brother. He just had to get through on the phone line (and we all know how that goes). He ended up winning a kids bicycle. For my 7mo nephew.
ConstantlyJon 2 years ago
my BIL correctly guessed where a cow would s**t at a county fair one time. literally the most insane thing I've ever heard of. Won some cash but not much.
Marilyn Russell 2 years ago
My husband won us tickets from the radio for a John Fogerty concert when we were dating. Had a rocking good time of course.
ADHORTATOR 2 years ago (edited)
I never won anything - but I guess that's because I don' t play/gamble :-)
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