‘The Price Is Right’: Veteran Wins Biggest Prize in Show History — $240,000
Best Mother’s Day ever! A mom who is a retired military veteran won The Price Is Right‘s largest single-game earnings in the show’s history.
On May 8, the Mother’s Day show, Vanessa from Virginia, took home more than $240,000 on TPIR‘s newest game, The Lion’s Share, in which contestants can win up to $500,000. She surpassed the previous record of $210,000 in a single pricing game of Cliffhangers set in 2016, according to a press release.
After winning five balls at the beginning of the game by correctly guessing the prices of grocery items, she got to go into the pit and collect five balls. Those five balls have numbers on them, which correspond to the numbers on a big board. Behind those numbers are cash and prizes. There were also five balls that said: “Lose It All.”
Vanessa wound up with eight, 13, 21, 25, and 27. She picked 13 first. Behind it was $2,500.
The game show contestant then chose 21. That ball had $25,000 behind it. The mother fell to the floor as host Drew Carey clapped.
“Oh my God,” she said.
For the third ball, Vanessa picked 25. $100,000 was under the ball. She threw her hands up in front of her face and screamed.
The last two numbers were her daughter’s, Janiah, who was sitting in the audience, birthday, so she decided to keep going. “This is for you, baby,” Vanessa said to her daughter.
She went with 27 first. There was another $100,000 behind it. Vanessa put her hands on her head and stared at Janiah in shock. Janiah jumped up and down in the audience, screaming.
This brought her total to $227,500. Vanessa leaned against the game and said, “Oh my God!”
Vanessa said that she “had to believe” and went for the last ball. After Carey wished her good luck, the eight ball was revealed to have a trip to Morocco behind it. It was worth $12,650, which gave her a total of $240,150 in cash and prizes.
“Almost a quarter million,” Carey said. “Nice job!”
Vanessa, once again, screamed and threw her hands in the air.
“What a haul!” Carey said. “Happy retirement.”
During the Showcase Showdown wheel, the host pulled Vanessa aside before she spun. “So, just so you know, Vanessa, when she played Lion’s Share just now, she won $240,150, which makes her the biggest pricing game winner in The Price Is Right daytime history.
“No!” Vanessa said, putting her hands up to her mouth in shock.
“Congratulations!” Carey said.
The Price Is Right, weekdays, 11a/10c, CBS, stream next day on Paramount+
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