‘The Price Is Right’s 10 Worst Contestants, Ranked

When it comes to unforgettable moments on The Price Is Right, it’s not just the wins that stick with us. The spectacularly off-base, hilariously misguided bids also make us cringe and laugh equally. Over the years, contestants have guessed sky-high prices on everyday items. These included hammocks valued at used car prices and living rooms at the cost of yachts. These moments aren’t just funny but also unforgettable snapshots of game show history.

For every savvy bidder who nails the exact price, there’s a contestant who bids as if they’ve been living under a rock — or in a world where a can opener costs as much as a vacation. Fans of The Price Is Right know these contestants well, and some of the most shocking moments have earned a place in the show’s hall of fame for all the wrong reasons. So, let’s rank the top ten worst contestants and relive these iconic missteps in game show history.

10 Kari Kinder Got Lost On The Set

Season 50

Kari Kinder’s moment on The Price Is Right is a hilarious reminder of how the simplest task can go hilariously wrong on live TV. After spinning the Big Wheel, Kari should have exited the stage — a straightforward enough task, but one that left her visibly confused. Instead of walking off confidently, she wandered around the stage, apparently lost and struggling to find her way out. The fact that she was inside the frame and fans saw her struggling to find her way off the stage made the whole scenario funny and awkward.

Her on-stage confusion drew laughs from the audience and host alike, and got her place in The Price Is Right’s hall of fame for blunders. In a YouTube video shared by Inside Edition, Kinder told them that she did win a “navigation system,” which made the whole instance even funnier. She also said that getting lost in The Price Is Right Is “priceless.” While her lack of direction seemed innocent enough, it highlighted a classic element of the show that things can go off the rails anytime.

9 Patricia Bernard’s Embarrassing Story

Season 4

Patricia Bernard’s experience on The Price Is Right is one of the funniest contestant blunders in 1976, though it wasn’t her fault. For most fans, hearing the iconic words “Come on down!” is a dream come true, and missing that moment is unthinkable. But when Bernard’s name was called, she wasn’t there to bask in the excitement — she was in the bathroom. The producers had to send an audience member to fetch her. It turned what should have been a thrilling entrance into an unexpected comedy routine.

Her bathroom break became an instant classic. As seen in the YouTube clip, by the time she arrived on Contestant’s Row, the audience was in stitches, which made her entrance more memorable than most. Patricia’s untimely absence on stage has secured her place in The Price Is Right’smost awkward moments. The incident remains a fan-favorite blunder that reminds us even the simplest TV moments can go hilariously wrong.

8 Corey and His $7000 Hammock

Season 43

The Price Is Right might not require contestants to be experts, but it does demand a bit of common sense when guessing the cost of everyday items. That didn’t stop Corey, now known as the $7,000 Hammock Guy. He made one of the wildest overbids in the show’s history as seen in the YouTube video. The scene unfolded as host Drew Carey revealed a luxurious-looking quilted hammock, clearly worth a decent sum but not outrageous. The guesses went around, with the highest at $1,200 — until Corey took his turn. He confidently called out “$7,000,” as if the hammock were a luxury vehicle.

The studio’s reaction was a mix of laughter, shock, and disbelief. Carey even asked him to repeat his bid, unable to hide his amusement. Corey’s over-the-top guess not only missed the $880 price by a mile but also earned him a memorable spot among The Price Is Right’s most baffling contestants. His bid is still remembered as a reminder that while giant bids can pay off, they can sometimes leave everyone, including the audience, in stitches.

7 James’ Incorrect Guesses On All The Prizes

Season 35

James‘ unforgettable turn on The Price Is Right in the Spelling Bee segment started with promise but ended with a jaw-dropping series of blunders. The game seemed almost foolproof. He simply had to spell the word CAR by collecting letter cards. James started strong and revealed a C and an A early on. He also had the chance to win three extra prizes by correctly guessing their prices. Even the host, Bob Barker, thought it would be an easy win. However, things took a turn for the worse.

Even with a $10 margin while guessing the price, he missed every one of those price guesses. The audience watched as James’ chance to win a car slipped away with each incorrect bid. Barker said that no one has ever lost all three price guesses in the show’s 34-year history. He also said that James would be remembered in the history of The Price is Right. The moment earned James a spot in The Price Is Right’s Hall of Fame for all the wrong reasons.

6 Trisha Trusting The Audience Too Much

Season 43

Trisha‘s moment on The Price Is Right was full of potential but quickly went downhill, resulting in a frustrating loss. She was competing in the Money Game to win a brand-new SUV and was overly excited from the start. She started strongly by correctly guessing her first set of numbers. According to the rules, she’d lose the opportunity to win the prize after four strikes or wrong guesses. As she correctly guessed the first time, the audience eagerly shouted their suggestions. Trisha decided to rely on their advice, and it all went downhill.

The crowd’s guidance turned out to be a bit of a curse, and her following choices were incorrect. Strike after strike came in, and Trisha missed out on winning the SUV. Her experience became memorable because of how quickly things changed after her good fortune. It also shows that sometimes, following the crowd can be risky, especially when the stakes are as high as those of a brand-new car.

5 Joy’s Frustrating Guesses For The Car

Season 34

A contestant named Joy‘s appearance on The Price Is Right during Bob Barker’s tenure is remembered as one of the most hilarious moments in the show’s history. Her appearance puzzled the host and frustrated the fans. She had to guess the price of the prizes and write it down on the board to win them. She started struggling right from the start and used up two strikes before finally getting the price of a toaster right. After that, the contestant began relying on the audience’s suggestions, which made matters worse.

Joy kept missing the mark when pricing a luggage set despite multiple attempts. Barker remarked, “You are straying from the path here,” which shows the host was exasperated. When she finally got the luggage price right, she moved on to the biggest prize — a car. But instead of confidently calling out numbers, Joy started scribbling on the board and rewriting, which was frustrating to watch. Finally, with only seconds to spare, Joy guessed the car’s price. The contestant’s win was so absurd that Barker sat down on stage in disbelief and called it “unbelievable.” Joy’s chaotic approach made her one of the worst players in The Price Is Right.

4 Jose And His Absurd Bid For The Showcase

Season 35

Jose is another contestant who lost a chance to win luxury prizes because of his wild overestimation of a prize package. Competing against another contestant named Gay, he was allowed to bid on an executive living room set with sofas, carpets, a television, and luxury motorcycles. Gay passed this showcase down to Jose and allowed him the first bid. However, Jose seemed uncertain about its actual value and confidently bid a shocking $250,000 estimate.

This bid took aback host Bob Barker, and he gently advised him to “think about that for a moment.” It prompted Jose to reconsider his bid and adjust it again to $60,000. Barker still seemed wary and asked if he was sure this was his final choice. Jose confirmed, and the bid was locked in. Ultimately, the host revealed the showcase price, which was $20,685. Jose’s extravagant overbid easily qualifies him as one of the worst contestants on The Price Is Right.

3 Linda Guessing For A Car

Season 13

In 1984, a contestant named Linda appeared on The Price Is Right. After correctly guessing the price of a golf bag with clubs, Linda earned the chance to win a brand-new car. She needed to pull numbers from a box and guess their placement in the car’s price. According to the game’s rules, the contestant would lose the prize if three strikes came out of the box. Things got tense when Linda pulled the number 7 but incorrectly guessed its position twice in a row. Despite these missteps, she managed to get a few numbers right.

Things changed quickly, and she drew two strikes back-to-back. Soon after, she pulled the number 7 again and guessed it incorrectly. That was the end for Linda. She pulled her last and final strike out of the box and lost the car. Her frustration was evident as she stomped off the stage without speaking to the host, who commented, “She doesn’t want to discuss it.” Linda’s stormy exit and repeated blunders secured her place among the show’s worst contestants.

2 Lili In The Game Of Ten Chances

Season 14

In 1985, a contestant named Lili messed up while playing the game Ten Chances and lost the opportunity to win a sports car. The goal was simple — guess the price of several prizes, ultimately leading to a chance to win a sports car. However, Lili got hung up on the cost of a set of chairs and wasted all her previous attempts. Her bids ranged from reasonable to repetitive, and she even guessed $175 twice.

Finally, after multiple failed attempts, Lili landed on the correct price of the chair, but it was her last chance. Although she had managed to secure the win for that round, she missed the opportunity to move forward to the car. To top off her rough run on The Price Is Right, Lili’s luck didn’t improve in the showcase round. She was far off by over $5000, which also caused her to lose that round. Her unfortunate repetition in Ten Chances and a vague bid in the showcase segment made her one of the worst contestants of the show.

1 Nicholas’s 1 Million Bid

Season 52

More recently, a contestant named Nicholas‘s $1 million bid on a piece of workout equipment set has stapled itself as hands down The Price Is Right‘s worst moment. When called to bid on a spin bike and vertical knee-raise station worth roughly $1798, Nicholas confidently wagered a staggering $1 million. Host Drew Carey even gave Nicholas a second chance to reconsider by asking, “Seriously?” However, Nicholas held his ground by saying, “Yeah, it looks like some nice equipment.” His bid was so absurdly high that the show couldn’t display it on the screen. Instead, they had to leave his podium blank.

Carey tried to roll with the moment by saying, “We can put one million on there if you want us to.” However, the audience was silent and stunned at the sheer scale of his misjudgment. Afterward, the contestant admitted that his ridiculous bid resulted from a lost bet. The confession only fueled fans’ frustration. Many viewers took to social media and called him attention-seeking. While some contestants stumble through tricky prices or miss obvious clues, Nicholas’ million-dollar blunder was more like an intentional disruption. That’s why he is the worst contestant on The Price Is Right.

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