Drew Carey has given new meaning to the signature phrase 'come on down!'
The 66-year-old television personality - who recently talked about his euphoric experience seeing Phish at The Sphere in Las Vegas - revealed that The Price Is Right contestants are frequently drunk and high.
Drew made the revelation that contestants often are under the influence to prepare themselves for being on camera in a recent interview with TV Insider.
The comedian explained: 'Oh, that happens here all the time. They’ll have a gummy or I’ll smell alcohol on their breath. Not unusual.'
He went on to tell a funny story about one of the contestants who had indulged in psychedelics as they both had similar backgrounds.
Drew Carey (pictured in West Hollywood earlier this month)revealed that The Price Is Right contestants are frequently drunk and high
Drew said:'There was a guy here that was tripping on mushrooms. He came with a bunch of friends. He was a sketch [comedy] guy. I found out later when I went to UCB [sketch improv theater, United Citizens Brigade] to hang out and they were like, "Did you see that guy who claimed to be a skateboarding rabbi?"
'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.'
He went on to share several secrets of the show including paying homage to legendary host Bob Barker by continuing to use his iconic sign-off line: 'Help control the animal population, have your pet spayed or neutered.'
Drew added his own twist to the sign-off as he also says: 'Take care of yourself, especially your mental health; it’s so important, and I love you!'
He explained why he made the move as he told TV Insider: 'It’s important to me. I went through a rough couple of years, and I needed to put my mental health first. It was such a help for me to do that and not succumb to sadness or grief. My therapist and my doctor helped me find tools to not go completely under.
'That’s all it is: tactics and tools you can learn to help your brain from not going down the drain. You can go into an addiction of feeling depressed and not knowing how to get out. You normalize it, or you normalize feeling bad about yourself. Life can be so much better with love, forgiveness, boundaries, speaking your mind, saying your truth, and living your truthful life.'
The star stressed the importance of focusing on ones mental health whether it be through therapy, psychiatry, reading a book, or even just talking to a confidant.
He said:'Some people are afraid to do that. They don’t want to seem weak or overbearing or be called, "Oh, that guy’s being an a**hole. He’s stating his worth and won’t put up with something anymore. Why doesn’t he play along like everybody else?" Maybe he or she doesn’t want to. It’s not who they are anymore. People end up getting trapped and unhappy.
Drew made the revelation that contestants often are under the influence to prepare themselves for being on camera in a recent interview with TV Insider as he explained: 'Oh, that happens here all the time. They’ll have a gummy or I’ll smell alcohol on their breath. Not unusual'; Drew is seen in January
He went on to share several secrets of the show including paying homage to legendary host Bob Barker by continuing to use his iconic sign-off line: 'Help control the animal population, have your pet spayed or neutered' as Drew added his own twist to the sign-off as he also says: 'Take care of yourself, especially your mental health; it’s so important, and I love you!'
'There are all kinds of really well-researched ways to not have that happen to you. Professional therapists and psychologists don’t have everything figured out, but they have a lot figured out. Sometimes therapy helps. Sometimes reading a self-help book or talking to a friend. I feel better from being here. So I pass it along.'
As Bob Barker passed away in August at the age of 99, no doubt Drew has had big shoes to fill and he talked about how he has tried to carry on his legacy.
The host said: 'Ever since the beginning, I wanted to be a good steward. I learned that from when I was a church kid. You got to be a good steward of the Earth and good steward of your family and a good steward of your money.
'And I want to be a good steward of the show, so I don’t screw it up and wreck it from the very beginning. I was like, "Don’t mess it up." I just wanted to make sure it was always on.'
The star stressed the importance of focusing on ones mental health whether it be through therapy, psychiatry, reading a book, or even just talking to a confidant
Barker (pictured in 1985) hosted the game show when it debuted in 1972 until his retirement in June 2007 when Drew took the reigns
Barker hosted the game show when it debuted in 1972 until his retirement in June 2007 when Drew took the reigns.
He also spilled on how his wardrobe on the game show is handled.
Drew said: 'We got new wardrobe people and they said, “We want to know your vibe.” I said, “I want to look like an aging rock star.” We went through pictures. I like the brand John Varvatos. I like that idea of still hip but dressed appropriately for my age.'
The Price Is Right is currently on season 52 and airs on CBS.
