BYU student Shaylie Fawcett was one of the few out of a packed studio audience called to play on “The Price is Right” and meet host Drew Carey in the Oct. 1 episode.
Fawcett, 18, has watched “The Price is Right” since she was a young girl. She and her family celebrated her birthday and acceptance into BYU by going to the show’s taping, hoping to play.
Members from the audience are called to “come on down” to bid, or guess, a prize’s price. The player whose guess is closest to the retail price without going over continues playing the game. Fawcett was called to “come on down” on her first attempt to be on the show.
“It was always something I wanted to do but never something I thought I’d get on,” she said.
Her mother, Rachelle Fawcett, described the experience as surreal. She has tried to be on the show five times but said she knew Shaylie would get to play.
“They often pick people that have college paraphernalia,” Rachelle Fawcett said. Shaylie Fawcett’s shirt read “Came To See DREW Before I Go to BYU.”
Shaylie Fawcett said being on the show was a good way for her to represent BYU because of the show’s national coverage and popularity. “It’s going to stand out in the show,” she said. “I think it’s just another outlet for people to learn about BYU.”
Debbie Salem, Shaylie Fawcett’s grandmother, also supported her on the show. Salem wasn’t surprised the show’s producers chose her granddaughter to play because of her personality, which showed through in the interview. “You can’t help but be drawn to her,” Salem said. “They’d go on to the next person, and then they’d go back to her.”
Salem was glad to be a part of a new experience for her granddaughter. Shaylie Fawcett gave a shout-out to her family, friends and baton-twirling friends as she spun the wheel. Carey quickly asked about the baton-twirling and jokingly offered her his microphone to twirl.
Rachelle Fawcett said her daughter being called to play on the show was an out-of-body experience.
“It was kind of funny because I felt a lot of responsibility,” she said of the times Shaylie Fawcett looked to her for advice during the game. “I was nervous not to tell her the wrong thing.”
Shaylie Fawcett didn’t win the trip to Tokyo or the spin, but she said she had a fun time.
View Shaylie Fawcett’s appearance and the rest of the show here.
