I am not a game show fan. But I thought these two "facts" were interesting:
- Contestants have to be "severely" coached
- More than 10,000 people try out for the show each year, and fewer than 600 are selected. Those chosen to be contestants spend the entire day of the taping being prepped by a team of intense contestant coordinators who teach you how and when to buy a vowel, how to properly spin the wheel, and where to focus your attention. "We get them out on stage right away," says Gary O'Brien, contestant producer. "We want them to be aware of logical, common letter patterns. We tell them not to reuse letters. Very few people have what it takes to be a contestant."
- Contestants have their own cheerleaders
- Between takes, the contestant coordinators act as a sort of moral support team. They shout encouraging words while contestants play a mock round. Players are made to shout out letters, and if they aren't loud enough, they're told to do it again. The whole point is to get them hyped. "A really important point of being a successful contestant is having a good strong presence at the wheel. It starts with your voice," O'Brien says.
Read the full article here.
