Wayne Brady is pulling back the curtain on the realities of game show hosting — including how some Let’s Make a Deal contestants would arrive before taping.
“In the early days of the show, for some reason, we had a lot of that,” Brady, 52, told People, alleging that many contestants would show up high or drunk while attending tapings.
“But not a lot recently,” he added while attending CBS Fest 2025 in Los Angeles, clarifying that intoxicated or high contestants are more of a rarity these days.
“I’d like to think that our audiences show up ready to play because they know the kind of show they’re getting involved in,” he continued to explain. “They know that it’s like an improvisational show. They know the women might ask them to get up and sing. They know that I’m interacting with them. So I think people come lucid because they don’t want to look silly.”
While shocking to some, Brady is not the only game show host who has had to deal with contestants who were under the influence while taping.
In June 2024, Drew Carey revealed that many The Price is Right contestants would show up drunk or high.
“Oh, that happens here all the time,” Carey, 66, told TV Insider at the time. “They’ll have a gummy or I’ll smell alcohol on their breath. Not unusual.”
The beloved game show host went on to recall a moment when one contestant was apparently “tripping on mushrooms” when he arrived on set.
“He came with a bunch of friends. He was a sketch [comedy] guy. I found out later when I went to [United Citizens Brigade] to hang out and they were like, ‘Did you see that guy who claimed to be a skateboarding rabbi?’” Carey recalled. “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.”
Carey went on to share that he believes contestants or possible contestants arrive at tapings nervous, and probably imbibe or use substances as a way to calm their nerves — a decision he said was understandable and one he didn’t judge.
“They’re normal people that live normal lives,” he continued. “This is average America right here. There are no CEOs, ultra-rich upper management. These are middle class, working class. Every religion. It’s a cross-section of America. Regular people are more interesting than celebrities.”
