Red Bud man to appear on ‘The Price is Right’
Red Bud resident Allen Corbin recently had the thrill of a lifetime, appearing as a contestant on the popular TV game show “The Price is Right” while vacationing in California with his wife and two other couples.
The episode featuring Corbin will air locally on CBS at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12.
Corbin said the plan was to try and get his wife, Debbie, or one of her friends on the show. So Corbin was surprised when the show’s announcer belted out his name with the famous catchphrase “Come on down!”
“It was definitely exciting,” Corbin said.
A native of Sparta, the 76-year-old Corbin has owned Handee Mart convenience stores and Mad Pricer grocery stores in the region. He and his wife traveled with friends, Ronnie and Joyce Jachino, and Barb and Jerry Lilley, to California, taking a bus tour down the coast.
“The girls wrote to a couple of the game shows there, and ‘The Price is Right’ sent us six tickets,” Corbin said. “They are all big fans of the show.”
Those receiving tickets to the show are interviewed beforehand by production staff in groups of 50 for possible selection as a contestant out of more than 300 audience members. Corbin said his group arrived at the Hollywood set at 8 a.m. Following a 90-minute wait, they were finally interviewed.
“Our girls brought T-shirts with funny sayings on them,” Corbin said.
Corbin’s T-shirt stated: “I owned a grocery store and I still don’t have a clue.”
Eventually, Corbin’s name was called and he made his way to contestants row.
“I was really wanting the women to get their names called,” he said. “I think they were more excited about it than I was, to tell you the truth.”
Still, Corbin put on his best game show smile and bid on the prize announced by game show host Drew Carey.
“He was a pretty nice guy,” Corbin said of Carey. “We shook hands and joked around for a bit.”
With the closest bid, Corbin then got to play a game on the big stage and also spin the wheel for a shot at the showcase showdown.
To see how Corbin fared during his 15 minutes of TV fame, you’ll just have to tune in on Nov. 12.
