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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
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#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.
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.
#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.
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 1 year ago
This should be far closer to #1. How the fu*k does one judge that?
#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.
#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 1 year 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.
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 1 year 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 🤯
#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.
#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 1 year 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.”)
#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
#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 1 year ago
How much did you have to pay in taxes? I've always heard that when winning prizes the taxes were high.
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” 1 year ago
I expect Pat is secretly a lizard person. So that means I am correct?
#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
#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.
#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 1 year 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.
#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
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.
#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 1 year 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!
"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 1 year 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/
#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 1 year ago
$100 in groceries in the 80s was life changing! I'm so glad you got them on that trip!
#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.
#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.
#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 1 year ago
If anything screams "9-year-old" more than the basics of a charcuterie board, I don't know what it is.
#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.
#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.
What do you think ?
Chewie Baron 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year 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.
Chewie Baron 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year 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.
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