28 Game Show Contestants Share What Really Happens At The Show When The Cameras Are Not Rolling
The wheel in Wheel of Fortune is heavy!
Game shows still pull people in, even as TV habits keep changing. Part of the appeal is simple, watching ordinary contestants get thrown into high-pressure moments for cash, prizes, and bragging rights.
Behind the bright lights and big reactions, though, a lot of these shows work very differently from what viewers see at home. Former contestants and people who have been on set have shared plenty of behind-the-scenes details, and some of them are surprisingly specific.
From heavy props to edited drama, the off-camera reality can be just as interesting as the game itself.
Read the behind-the-scenes "secrets" below:
olymp1a1. You can't randomly hail the Cash Cab in New York. The producers screen the contestants, but they don't reveal the criteria to capture genuine reactions.
hockeyfn162. The wheel in Wheel of Fortune is incredibly heavy, and they film a week's worth of episodes in one day.
Pickitline
3. They screen the audience on The Price Is Right to determine if they are worthy of being in the contestant's row. The set is tiny as well.
dpchemd1
4. A winner on The Price Is Right says that after the show, the winner is taken into a small room to complete some paperwork and discuss the prizes.
BladeBronson
If you win on any CBS game show, you cannot participate in their other game shows for 10 years.
BladeBronson
5. Aspiring contestants on The X Factor have to audition for off-camera judges before they go in front of the celebrity judges.
Epic-Hamster
That first round is doing a lot more work than viewers realize.
6. Iron Chef America is the most authentic cooking competition show, but the judging takes a long time to film.
gambalore
7. A person who participated in Married At First Sight still goes to therapy years after appearing on the reality relationship show.
W2ttsy
8. A contestant on My Kitchen Rules was edited in a certain way to make her appear as the villain of the season, which ruined her career outside of the show.
MrHobbes14
9. In an MTV show called Fist of Zen, a group was told to deliberately fail one challenge for added drama but were still given the full prize money.
JackRabbitSkimzzz
10. A contestant won a lifetime's worth of WD-40 on the Australian version of Wheel of Fortune, which turned out to be 4 cans of the lubricant.
DobbyDun
11. A tattoo subject on a tattoo competition show was given headphones but wasn't allowed to use them because they were just for product placement.
byfuryattheheart
12. Modern-day game show producers are more vigilant to avoid any rumors of fixing or cheating, like what happened in the 1950s.
sfn81
13. Who Wants To Be a Millionaire contestants who make it past the first round are told how to act when they celebrate.
RandomPunktSucks
Families of the contestants are in the audience and sometimes give the wrong answers on purpose.
RandomPunktSucks
14. Deal or No Deal picks contestants who are exuberant, and they reserve the right to air your episode or not based on how you come across on camera.
legofduck
Some shows are as much about personality as they are about the game.
Also, this reminds me of the family recipe fight with a competitive cousin.
15. American Ninja Warrior films in the dead of night.
Amatorious
The audience in the stands is told what colors to wear, and they can't have anything with a logo on it.
Amatorious
16. On the British show The Chase, opponents are not allowed to be in the same room to avoid any compromises or cheating.
DegenGAMBLOR
Bradley Walsh did not interact as much, but he was nice.
DegenGAMBLOR
17. None of the scenes were shot in sequence on an unnamed family game show.
alternnate
18. In a show (is it Project Runway?), the scene was made to look like the contestants were rushing and competing over materials, but in reality, they had enough time and a lot of space.
yolonebulastorm
19. Jerry Springer is technically not a game show, but this is still interesting.
opusx28
It seems the show is messy even in between takes.
It seems the show is messy even in between takes.
opusx28
20. Also not a game show, but Conan O'Brien deserves the love.
Bing_Bong_the_Archer
21. Alec Baldwin likes to keep the temperature chill, Lemon.
soundbox97
The chaos is part of the appeal, even when it is carefully staged.
22. Robot Wars is really, really cool if you get on the right episode.
DarthMousemat
The tension is also palpable and exciting.
DarthMousemat
23. Seeing how game shows are made can take the magic out of the shows after witnessing scenes filmed repeatedly to get the right shot.
the_batusi
24. The Big Brother House is inside a warehouse, and the housemates are watched 24/7 a la Truman Show.
Pundemic_crisis
25. The slime used in Nickelodeon shows like Double Dare is apparently delicious. They say it's made from applesauce and tapioca pudding.
Engvar, UsedCelery
26. The MasterChef judges have a lot of stylists. The timer also doesn't work in real time.
zqmbgn
The contestants also have ample time to prepare their dishes and are briefed about the ingredients a week prior to filming.
zqmbgn
What happens behind the scenes of our favorite game shows is incredibly fascinating. Reading about them admittedly takes a little bit of the TV magic away.
It's still great to learn about them, but of course, take those stories with a grain of salt. It's good to know that showrunners have learned a bit from the game show scandals of the 1950s and are trying to keep things above board.
Still, the off-camera details make these shows even more interesting in a different way.
Want the “friendship vs. victory” dilemma, read if you should use your friend’s secret recipe to win.
