‘Price Is Right’ contestant takes brutal jab at host Drew Carey about his career

Drew Carey was put in his place.

Lillian Brown was on a roll during the July 2 episode of “The Price Is Right.”

The third-year Ph.D. student breezed through the games, racking up money as she played.

Host Carey, 66, teased her about it, suggesting that the secret to her success was her Ph.D.

“We might as well not even keep going but . . . OK, OK. You have a Ph.D.,” he said to her.

“I was thrown out of college twice. What’s the opposite of a Ph.D.?” Carey continued.

“A talk show host,” Brown responded.

“You know what? I’m not smart enough to be a talk show host,” Carey said, unable to recover.

Brown and the audience all laughed.

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In the same episode, Carey cost a contestant a shot at the Showcase.

The host was trying to help when contestant Roni Gardner, from San Diego, California, struggled to spin the Big Wheel.

Contestants spin the Big Wheel in an attempt to get close to 100 without going over. Everyone has two chances to spin and get their overall total the closest to 100 to move on.

For a spin to count, the wheel must achieve at least one full rotation. Gardner had trouble with this rule during the game.

After her first spin, the wheel landed on 90, which put her in position to win the game.

However, Carey pointed out that the wheel didn’t go all the way around, so the contestant had to redo her spin.

On her next try, the wheel barely turned past halfway, leading Carey to step in.

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“Can I help you out?” he asked her.

“Yes, please,” Gardner replied.

Carey then helped the contestant make her next spin, which landed on 15, meaning she was allowed a second spin to reach the goal.

Once again, Carey helped, but the wheel landed on 95, taking Gardner’s score over 100. Her chances of moving on to the Showcase were over.

“I’ll take the blame for that. Roni, I’m so sorry,” Carey apologized as she exited the stage.

Contestant Erika O’Farrell then moved on, but Gardner didn’t have the chance.

Carey had another funny interaction on the June 28 episode when contestant David, a barber, nailed a bid on a sewing-and-craft collection, and bantered with the host about facial hair.

Carey welcomed the contestant onstage after he guessed the collection’s worth of $950, the closest of the four contestants’ guesses to its $1,415 price tag.

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“What’s up, man? Nice to see you! Welcome to the show,” the host greeted David with a handshake, to which David replied with equal enthusiasm.

“You too, man. Thank you so much,” David said.

“I was wondering when you’re going to grow your beard back,” the contestant joked to Carey.

“Oh I don’t know, I just got tired of it,” the comedian, who has rocked longer facial hair in recent years, responded.

David then gestured to Carey’s soul patch, and quipped: “This is looking good.”

Carey returned the compliment, adding: “Your beard looks great, man.”

Carey’s interactions with contestants have been a hallmark since he took over as host of the show after Bob Barker retired in 2007. Barker hosted the show from 1972 to 2007 and died in 2023 at the age of 99.

Carey is on his 18th season of the long-running game show. He’s also previously led “The Drew Carey Show” from 1994 to 2004, and “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” from 1998 to 2007.

His ultimate career goal is to outlast “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak — who retired in June from that ABC game show. Sajak, 77, earned his place in history as the longest serving game show host of the same show for his 41-season reign.

“I do have a goal: I want to keep going until I die. This is my 18th season. I’ve got to get the 35 and 41, so I can catch Bob Barker and Pat Sajak,” Carey told TV Insider.

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