Most people don’t have what it takes to be a professional actor in Hollywood , but almost anyone can be a contestant on a gameshow — at least so you’d think.
As it turns out, much of what we see on TV is fabricated or entirely faked. Get a better idea of what I’m talking about and read all about these 15 contestants from popular game shows as they open up about their shared experiences.
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There is a lot of awkward silence on the set of ‘Shark Tank’.
“Not necessarily a “game show” but on Shark Tank the pitching people stand there in front of the “sharks” silently for anywhere from 1 to 4 minutes so the production crew can set up all the props, lights, and mics.” – Reddit u/unknown
The truth is a matter of interpretation on ‘Judge Mathis’.
Reddit user mattyice419 claimed that their friend was once a plaintiff on Judge Mathis . While in the green room, he was instructed to drink as much Red Bull as was possible. Also, the stories they tell about the relationship between plaintiff and defendant are largely fabricated.
‘Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader’ really rubs it in your face when you lose.
Reddit user kibbles0515 recalls being in the audience while taping for Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader was going on. They remembered that after one contestant lost, production required additional shots of her reaction — forcing her to relive her defeat all over again.
The check is in the mail.
If you happen to be a contestant on a game show that features a large cash prize, such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? don’t expect to walk away with your winnings the night of the taping. Most prizes aren’t awarded until after the episode airs, at least according to Redditor aspapu.
‘American Idol’ doesn’t always end the way a contestant hopes.
“My friend was on American Idol , and he had a 4 minute “back story” clip that they played before his audition. As it turns out, he did all of the back story filming after already being turned down.” – Reddit u/deleted
Pat Sajak from ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ is actually a really friendly guy.
Reddit user Pickitline said that not only is Pat friendly with all the contestants, but that filming for the entire week’s worth of episodes takes place in the span of less than a day.
You better clap like a trained seal.
Redditor BlueShift42 said that when they were in the audience filming for a popular game show, that clapping was an incredibly big deal. If an audience member wasn’t following suit or didn’t look excited enough, production couldn’t use the shot — and they weren’t happy about it.
It pays to laugh during tapings of ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’.
Reddit user matiu2 recalls when they were a contestant on New Zealand’s version of America’s Funniest Home Videos . In order to incentivize the audience into laughing, producers would throw money into the crowd.
On ‘Jeopardy!’, even Alex Trebek made the occasional mistake.
According to Redditor trexrocks, Alex Trebek doesn’t always read the Jeopardy! questions correctly the first go-around (who would’ve thought?!). Whenever he made a mistake, he would re-read the question during the commercial break. Then, the correct cut would be edited into the show.
Not everyone gets to audition for the judges on ‘American Idol’.
According to a post made by Reddit user lord_taint, only the best (or worst) of the potential contestants ever have their day with the judges. Prior to that, hopefuls are given the go-ahead by a panel of non-celebrity judges.
‘Cash Cab’ is 100% legit, up to a certain point…
“I know this from someone who was on Cash Cab , the part up until right after they reveal the person is on the show is legit, after that[sic] they take half an hour to get all the paperwork done and stuff.” – Reddit u/andrew502502
The restaurant of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ isn’t really a restaurant at all!
Reddit user Saiyaliin claims that Hell’s Kitchen isn’t so much a restaurant as it is an elaborate soundstage. All of the guests arrive ahead of time and wait for their signal to enter.
‘Deal Or No Deal’ leaves a lot to be desired.
Reddit user stacenatorX was a contestant on Deal or No Deal . They said that production shoots a minimum of eight episodes a day, the process of which is incredibly boring. On top of that, contestants get very few breaks and are provided a meager lunch.
‘The Price Is Right’ is much smaller in real life.
According to a post made by Reddit user dpchemd1 , the set for The Price is Right is much smaller than it looks on TV. Not only that, but the wheel contestants spin in order to get into the Showcase Showdown is also tiny.
The producers of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ couldn’t care less about cooking.
“They never asked about cooking or food,” Reddit user tah4349 explained. “All they wanted to know is which “character” I was, and they loved that I had never seen the show. And would I cry? Over and over again they said, ‘do you cry if you get yelled at?’.”
h/t: Reddit
