The American television game show The Price Is Right has, since its 1972 relaunch, had a stable of models to showcase the prizes and items that are given away on the show. From 1972–2007, the group was referred to as Barker's Beauties, a term coined by producer Mark Goodson.
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The original Price Is Right also employed models. Usually, two models appeared per episode to model the prizes, much in the same tradition as the later incarnations. As was the case with the Carey-era of the current version, the models were not referred to specifically by a nickname.
June Ferguson and Toni Wallace were the regular models, staying with the program for its entire nine-year run. Various other models either assisted Ferguson and Wallace, or appeared during their absences.
Over 25 women have appeared as models on The Price Is Right since the program's premiere. For the first three years, there were two models – Janice Pennington and Anitra Ford. Dian Parkinson joined Pennington and Ford in 1975 after previously appearing periodically as a substitute model.
Ford left the program in 1976 and was later replaced by Holly Hallstrom who joined the cast in 1977. Pennington, Parkinson and Hallstrom appeared as the three main models on both the daytime and syndicated versions of the show from the mid-1970s through the early 1990s.
In December 1990, the three were joined by the program's first permanent African American model, Kathleen Bradley. During this period, Kyle Aletter appeared as the substitute model whenever one of the principal models was unable to appear in a given episode.
Parkinson left the show in 1993 "to pursue other interests" as stated by Barker, although speculation among some felt her departure was due to ongoing difficulties with Pennington. The following year, Parkinson filed a litigation suit claiming that Barker had been sexually harassing her beginning in the 1980s. Parkinson withdrew the suit in 1995.
Parkinson was replaced by several other women (including Cindy Margolis) until Gena Lee Nolin was hired in 1993. Hallstrom was dismissed from the show in 1995 by Barker on the basis of weight gain (due to prescription medication), although Hallstrom alleged that she was dismissed for her refusal to support Barker in his then-ongoing litigation with Parkinson. Barker sued Hallstrom for slander and libel and Hallstrom countersued Barker for wrongful termination and age, weight and medical discrimination. Eventually, Hallstrom was awarded a multi-million dollar settlement in 2005.
After Hallstrom's termination and Nolin's departure that same year, Chantel Dubay was hired as the third model in 1996. Dubay left the show in 1999 and was replaced by Nikki Ziering.
In 2000, Pennington and Bradley were dismissed from the program in (what was claimed as) an attempt to attract a younger demographic. Their dismissals came after Barker's failed lawsuit against Hallstrom. Both Pennington and Bradley filed for wrongful termination and settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.[1]
Pennington and Bradley were replaced by Heather Kozar and Claudia Jordan in 2000. Ziering and Kozar both left the program in 2002. At that time, Jordan became the only "permanent" model and was joined by a rotating cast of additional models.
Jordan's departure came in 2003 after she formally complained about racial discrimination on the set. Jordan filed for wrongful termination and racial discrimination and also received an out of court settlement. After Jordan's dismissal, The Price Is Right no longer featured the same model or group of models on a daily basis. In addition to several models who are more-or-less a permanent part of the cast, new models appear every few weeks who sometimes eventually join the rotation, or other times appear for a single set of tapings. That procedure was changed in late 2008 as contracts expired.
Currently, the show uses four permanent models, two or three of which appear on any given episode – Rachel Reynolds, Amber Lancaster, Gwendolyn Osborne Smith, and Manuela Arbeláez.
Drew Carey has indicated in an interview with USA Today that he prefers to simply refer to the models by name as opposed to giving them a nickname. In addition, they are now referred as "The Price Is Right Models" when making public appearances with Carey, such as at the 2008 Pepsi 500, where Carey was the grand marshal, and the Seattle Sounders FC fashion gala where the Major League Soccer team, of which Carey is a minority owner, unveiled their new uniforms for the 2009 season. As part of the change, the show's models are now listed in the show's full credit roll, starting with December 2009 episodes, just before the announcer is listed in the credit roll. Beginning in the 2010 season, the models wear microphones so they can be heard as they're talking with Carey or the contestant, and on some episodes only two models are used, with the announcer serving as a third model for games using three models.
In February 2006, supermodel Tyra Banks appeared as a guest model and assisted during two games.
Since Drew Carey became host in 2007, celebrities and sports professionals have appeared during specific segments (especially Showcases themed around the subject) on many episodes to promote prizes related to their professions, including Wayne Newton, Lou Ferrigno, Reba McEntire, Jim Nantz, Heidi Newfield, the United States women's national soccer team, Chuck Finley, Buzz Aldrin, Carl Edwards, Katie Stam, Blake Shelton, and WWE Divas Kelly Kelly and the Bella Twins.
During Season 37, manufacturers of products began offering their representatives to model the equipment, such as athletes signed to play with that brand's equipment or who represent a specific sports manufacturer, musicians under contract with the instrument's manufacturer or corporate representatives of another product or service. They have mostly appeared during One Bids but also during the Showcase. Carey will introduce the individual modeling the prize and their affiliation to the manufacturer or prize provider.
In both 2009 and 2010, Kathy Kinney appeared on the April Fool's Day episodes, reprising her role as Mimi Bobeck from The Drew Carey Show. In 2009, she appeared as a model, and in 2010, she acted as the executive producer, with the show's models trading places with three male staffers.
Often, a crossover with other CBS Daytime or Primetime shows will be included with the stars of those shows in question modeling prizes. These crossovers have included The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Amazing Race, Let's Make a Deal, and The Bold and the Beautiful. Tiffany Coyne (from Let's Make a Deal) filled in as the fifth model on some episodes which aired in March 2011.
In some cases, production staff and family members have modeled prizes. Then-associate producer Kathy Greco appeared on-camera as one of the models for an entire episode, and her husband Frank, a Los Angeles-area golf professional, modeled golf clubs. Sherell Paris, an executive assistant and former member of a pop trio of sisters, once modeled a karaoke machine.
The announcer models men's watches, suits, and accessories used as prizes, a practice that has been used with all four permanent announcers (Johnny Olson, Rod Roddy, Rich Fields, George Gray) and the majority of substitute announcers (although this was rare between 2000–2008). The announcer also appeared in Showcase skits, sometimes modeling the prizes or playing a character in a story line. Since 2011, on episodes where two models are used in games requiring three models, the announcer will assume the third model's duties. Since becoming the permanent announcer in 2011, Gray has appeared more frequently on camera describing prizes or paired with another model, and with the new announcer's podium that includes a video screen, some One Bids feature trips as prizes, with the prize appearing on the screen below Gray as he announces the prize.
Former FremantleMedia staffer Mandel Ilagan, who developed 1/2 Off, played a piano offered as a prize in 2009.
During the April 1, 2010 episode, in fitting the April Fool's Day theme of the episode, three different members of the production staff swapped roles with the models.
In addition to the litigation suits, several other staff members have filed lawsuits against Barker and the program, alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination.[2] After Parkinson brought forth sexual harassment allegations against Barker, he called a press conference to admit a past consensual sexual relationship with her.[3]
When asked in a USA Today interview about the four most famous Beauties (Bradley, Hallstrom, Parkinson, and Pennington), Barker replied, "They've been such a problem. I don't want to say anything about them. They're disgusting; I don't want to mention them." Barker gave praise to the rotating models featured during his last years as host of the program, calling them "the best models we've ever had."[4]
All lawsuits, except for Hallstrom's, were settled out of court. Barker himself dropped his slander suit against Hallstrom, who countersued and received millions in settlement.[5][6]
Two other Barker-era models who were added in the 2000's and went through the host transition have also filed lawsuits, with lawsuits targeting Executive Producer Mike Richards and producer Adam Sandler (not to be confused with the film star) for inappropriate behaviour on the set. [7]
The daytime models appeared on the 1970s syndicated nighttime version as well, with a few notable exceptions. In the earliest episodes, a third model named Harriet was present; her last name is unknown, but she holds the distinction of being Price's first black model. Additional models besides Parkinson were also featured on the nighttime show, including Janice's sister Ann Pennington and a model named Jenny who even had a Showcase with her as the main character, in which she was an artist painting the contestant's prizes.
On the 1985 syndicated version, Pennington, Parkinson, and Hallstrom appeared throughout the run. However, on the 1994 syndicated version, an entirely separate cast of models was featured: Julie Lynn Cialini, Ferrari Farris, and Lisa Stahl.
Since the premiere of the CBS prime time series in 2002 and beginning with The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectaculars in 2003, there are often situations where four to seven models appear on each episode.
| Name | Debut | Departure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Aletter |
1981
|
1996
|
Substitute model. |
| Manuela Arbeláez |
2008
|
Present
|
First Hispanic model on the show, participated in 2008 model search. Joined cast during Brandi Sherwood's pregnancy. |
| Kathleen Bradley |
1990
|
2000
|
First African American model on the daytime show. |
| Starr Campbell |
2004
|
2005
|
|
| Lanisha Cole |
2003
|
2010
|
Has filed lawsuit against FremantleMedia/RTL Group as well as Executive Producer Michael G. Richards and Producer Adam Sandler over questionable behavior by both staffers. |
| Phire Dawson |
2005
|
2008
|
|
| Chantel Dubay |
1996
|
1999
|
|
| Jennifer England |
2002
|
2003
|
|
| Anitra Ford |
1972
|
1976
|
|
| Lisa Gleave |
2002
|
2003
|
|
| Teri Harrison |
2003
|
2005
|
|
| Holly Hallstrom |
1977
|
1995
|
Left in 1983, returned in 1984. |
| Claudia Jordan |
2001
|
2003
|
|
| Heather Kozar |
2001
|
2002
|
|
| Amber Lancaster |
2008
|
Present
|
|
| Cindy Margolis |
1995
|
1996
|
Substitute model. |
| Tamiko Nash |
2007
|
2008
|
|
| Gena Lee Nolin |
1994
|
1996
|
|
| Gwendolyn Osborne |
2005
|
Present
|
|
| Dian Parkinson |
1975
|
1993
|
|
| Janice Pennington |
1972
|
2000
|
|
| Rebecca Mary Pribonic |
2004
|
2006
|
|
| Rachel Reynolds |
2003
|
Present
|
|
| Brandi Sherwood |
2002
|
2009
|
Sherwood was dismissed from the show on February 23, 2010 and later filed a lawsuit against FremantleMedia/RTL Group and CBS.[8] |
| Shane Stirling |
2002
|
2008
|
|
| Gabrielle Tuite |
2003
|
2008
|
|
| Nikki Ziering |
1999
|
2002
|
|
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