Brandywine, MD – It is many people’s dream to hear the announcer of “The Price is Right” yell their names and tell them to “come on down!” Eva McQueen-Gates was able to live that dream on the episode of the game show that aired on Monday, June 13.
McQueen-Gates traveled to Los Angeles, CA March 29 with a group of her friends and family to watch a taping of the popular game show “The Price is Right.” She had no idea, however, that she was not only going to be a contestant on the show, but the new champion.
“I kept saying that if I was chosen, I was going to faint,” said McQueen-Gates. “I don’t think I even heard my name, one of my friends had to tell me.”
McQueen-Gates, a South Carolina native and retired member of the United States Air Force and the postal service, said she has been a fan of The Price is Right since Bob Barker hosted the show. When the annual trip she takes with her sisters was planned for Las Vegas, they decided to get tickets to a taping of the game show and drive to Los Angeles.
“When some of my friends heard we were going, they wanted to come along,” said McQueen-Gates. “We all had t-shirts that said, ‘Carolina Girl’ on them. We were all just having a good time, making everybody laugh. They must have taken notice.”
McQueen-Gates won the second round of Contestant’s Row by placing a $1 bid on a set of tablets, allowing her to play for a car in the game Switcheroo. The game did not go so well, and McQueen-Gates was only able to win a can opener.
“I was so excited that I didn’t think the process through,” said McQueen-Gates. “Being up there is kind of scary and being on TV made me a little nervous. I remember thinking, ‘At least I won something.’”
McQueen-Gates made a comeback when she spun the wheel, beating the other contestants with a spin of .75 and earning her a place in the showcase.
McQueen-Gates’ showcase consisted of an iPhone inlaid with gold and Swarovski crystals, a motorcycle and a sailboat. Making a bid on the items, however, is not as easy as it looks on TV.
“When you’re trying to make a bid and looking at the audience, it’s really hard,” said McQueen-Gates. “I didn’t really add the figures of the prizes in my head. When I was looking at my friends and family, I didn’t really hear any particular numbers and then I heard a number and it stuck.”
McQueen-Gates bid $22,501 on her showcase and was $3,864 away from the actual retail value. Her opponent was $12,821 from her own, however, making McQueen-Gates the winner.
McQueen-Gates said she and her husband are still discussing what to do with the prizes. She says she may give the tablets to her nephews and the iPhone to her niece because she can’t see herself walking around with a $3,000 phone. She is most excited for the motorcycle because she has always wanted to learn how to ride one.
“I know I’m up there in age but I see people in the older generation riding so I’m eager to learn,” said McQueen-Gates.
She said the hardest part of the experience was keeping quiet about her winnings to her friends that hadn’t been there that day. She was not supposed to talk about her experience until her show aired.
“After I filled out all the paperwork, I ran out to my group and said, ‘I hope you all didn’t tell anyone,’” McQueen-Gates said. “They had to call back everyone they had told and tell them not to say anything.”
McQueen-Gates says the experience was so much fun and that she had a good time through the whole process.
“I’m just so happy,” said McQueen-Gates. “I’ve had the biggest smile on my face since the show and still do now.”
