If you’ve been following my recent blog posts, you’ve seen the questions I’ve been asked about when Drew Carey was hired as the new host. 

To answer this, let’s first talk about when Bob Barker announced his retirement. 

Oh my gosh- the fears that ran through us all! “What’s going to happen to the show?” “What is going to happen to us?” “Will CBS and Fremantle try and find a new host?” “Will the show succeed without Bob Barker?” 

These were our real and legitimate questions and fears. So many of us had worked on the show for so many years. We couldn’t imagine our lives without “The Price Is Right” We couldn’t imagine not seeing our co-workers everyday. They had become like family to us. We always knew that Bob’s retirement was inevitable, but we just never wanted to think about it really happening. 

Fremantle calmed our nerves and let us know that “The Price Is Right” would continue with a new host. We had no clue who it would be. There were endless auditions with hosts clamoring for this coveted position. Could they do the job? Could they replace Bob Barker? We didn’t have a crystal ball. 

Then, we heard CBS had hired Drew Carey. Had he auditioned for the show? No. Were we surprised? You bet. At the time, Drew was doing a great job hosting “The Power of Ten.” He related to the contestants so well. He wasn’t a Bob Barker look-a-like or wanna be and he was so different from Bob that it would be hard to make comparisons. 

We could all see the reasoning behind the choice, but we were still very nervous. We would’ve been nervous about anyone that was chosen to host the show! Obviously, it turned out to be a great decision.  The show has new life and the ratings are great! We look forward to working with Drew for many more years to come. I hope you plan on watching for a long time too! 

- Kathy