Frederick resident picked as 'The Price Is Right' contestant, episode airs this week

Oct. 29—Raven Dupree knows exactly what a game show host wants in a contestant.

They want someone with stamina and energy, who can be as excited as they can be for long periods of time. They want someone fun, he said.

And his own stamina, energy and fun got him as a contestant on "The Price Is Right."

His episode will air at 11 a.m. on Nov. 1 on CBS.

"When you're up there, you do feel you're looking at yourself in a dream. You don't necessarily feel like you're there. It does almost feel like you're dreaming a little bit, like it's not real," he said.

Dupree works from home in Frederick as an accountant. In the mornings, he always has the Price is Right in the background while works.

This summer, he figured he should try to become a contestant on the game show.

He had already been a contestant on "Let's Make a Deal" with Wayne Brady, along with his girlfriend, Moriah Newman. It was a great experience, so he wanted to try again.

After some research, he bought tickets for a taping of the show, and flight tickets to Los Angeles, California.

Anyone who buys a ticket for a taping is guaranteed to attend the game show, he said. But to be contestants, the attendees go through a rigorous, day-long process where staff with "The Price Is Right" decide who they want to compete in the game.

Dupree said he met other people who were trying for their fifth or sixth time to become contestants.

It started with an interview, Dupree said, where contestants had to sell themselves. Producers ask questions about where contestants are from, their story, and if they've been on other game shows.

Contestants want to stick out, Dupree said. That was why he also attended the taping with his red shirt that said "Keep calm and listen to George Gray." George Gray is the announcer for the show.

After the interviews, the attendees get separated into groups of 10, where they are then taken into a conference room. For two hours, producers played hit songs from LMFAO, The Black-Eyed Peas and other music to see if contestants would get up and dance or sit down and not do anything, Dupree said.

Dupree said he danced and clapped and brought the energy.

"My hands are turning red, I'm clapping so much," he said.

After two hours of dancing, talking and clapping, the attendees were finally filed into the studio and seated, he said.

People were murmuring, wondering who would be picked. Only four people would be getting picked as contestants.

"There's so many different nerves and emotions," Dupree said. "You're not calm, like you're waiting on a flight, but almost like you're waiting on a flight on standby to get somewhere that you have to get to and you're hoping that you make it."

The mood shifted again when George Gray entered the studio, starting the show and reading off names on cue cards. One younger woman was called, Dupree said, then another.

Dupree's name was called third.

"I just jumped up and I started jumping up and down, acting like a fire ant bit me on the ankle or something," he said. "I was just so excited and I ran down there, high-fived everybody."

Though Dupree said he couldn't dive too much into the details of what happened after he was chosen as a contestant, he said he felt like he did a good job. He was nervous at first, but then started taking the game seriously. That made it more fun and enjoyable he said.

Dupree said he probably won't be able to watch the episode he's on, since he will be so focused on analyzing how he was and how he looks on TV.

His girlfriend on the other hand, is trying to work from home on Nov. 1 so she can watch the episode uninterrupted.

He doesn't know if a third game show is in the cards for him, but he encouraged people to give it a try themselves.

"It's fun and it's enjoyable, and you know, people should I just take the chance to consider it because it's not out of reach," he said.

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