The Price Is Right is in hot water for scamming contestants in the Showcase round during Season 53, Episode 20 of the game show, which aired on October 23, 2024. As contestants Anisa and Luis made it to the Showcase Showdown, fans were disappointed to see the prizes that were up for grabs. This caused an uproar on social media with fans claiming that the prizes were straight out of a junk closet!

It started when host Drew Carey unveiled the first group of prizes which included three trips to New Orleans, the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, and Ireland with round-trip coaches and standard rooms. Fans noticed that the lineup did not include a tropical destination, which is a staple when it comes to the show’s vacation prizes. This might be why Anisa decided to pass. However, Luis chose to bid $27,850 on all three trips.

But the second showcase was worse. It featured diamond jewelry, a sound system, and a Mitsubishi Mirage, which is the least expensive car prize to have been offered on the show. Not to mention that Anisa looked less than impressed as she bid $27,100. Eventually, Luis under-bid on the trips while Anisa was “just over,” as announced by Carey. While he looked pretty happy to have won, the fans believed that the showcase was extremely disappointing.

Are the Producers Trying to Save Money on ‘The Price Is Right?’

The Price Is Right is set to celebrate its 10,000th daytime show in February 2025. This has led the fans to speculate whether the producers are trying to cut costs and save up for the special episode that will be taped in December 2024. As reported by TV Insider, fans of the show took to social media to discuss the rumors and claimed that the show was going to be in budget mode for a while.

However, another fan noted how that doesn’t make any sense because “Wouldn’t CBS add money to the prize budget for Primetime episodes and the special episode?” This led to a conversation about how the night show is costing the producers a lot of money, and they’re trying to make up for it by holding back on the prizes. However, in a previous interview with TV Insider, Carey confirmed that the show runs on CBS’s money and joked that both he and the contestants are trying to take it together.

The game show host added that his favorite part of filming the show was getting to interact with normal people who live normal lives. He expressed how refreshing it was to see people from the middle and working class take part in the show and win big. The host shared that he has learned a lot from the contestants on the show and is always rooting for them to take the prize back home.