The Biggest Game Show Scandals We've Seen On TV

Game shows are meant to be a way to break away from the rest of the world - and for the contestants, maybe walk away with a prize or two. What about when things don't go entirely to plan? Just because the set is filled with flashing lights and an excited audience doesn't mean they've been without their issues.

In fact, the biggest game show scandals the small screen has seen go to show that sometimes, things are far from what we see. The problem? When the rest of the world learns about them.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire suffered the now infamous coughing scandal

Shortly after ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ made its way across the pond to the US, the UK version of the show suffered what would eventually become known as the coughing scandal. Things appeared to be going to plan for contestant Charles Ingram, who quickly made his way to the top prize and walked away victorious.

However, it was later discovered Charles would read each question aloud before his wife, Diana, or their friend, Tecwen Whittock, coughed when he got to the correct answer. They were quickly caught and somehow avoided prison time, but did have to repay the winnings and further fines. Their episode was never aired, but their story lives on.

Mike Richards was forced to leave Jeopardy! when his comments about women resurfaced

The passing of Alex Trebek left a huge hole in ‘Jeopardy!’ After all, the host had been the face of the show for 37 seasons and was a household name, but in order to continue, they needed a new face. Executive producer Mike Richards was soon choice number one, but the announcement led to several past allegations and controversies.

During his podcast, ‘The Randumb Show,’ Mike was caught calling women in one-piece swimsuits “frumpy and overweight” - and that was just the start. Mike was also accused of harassment before he apologized and stepped down as ‘Jeopardy!’ host. The problem? It wasn’t enough, so Mike was forced to resign as producer of the show and ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ too.

Drew Carey accidentally saw a contestant cheat the Plinko board on The Price Is Right

‘The Price Is Right’ has seen a handful of hosts, with Drew Carey now stepping up as the face of the franchise. However, he was less than impressed when a contestant took on the Plinko board and somehow ended up winning $30,000. The idea is simple: contestants drop a chip into a pegged board and see where it lands.

After the third time in a row landing in the $10,000 slot, producers had to announce to Drew the game was rigged. Apparently, the woman was about to drop a fourth chip when they admitted they’d been shooting a commercial and used fishing line to make it fall into the $10,000 slot - and forgot to remove it.

A contestant lost her winnings on Wheel of Fortune all because of her accent

Renee Durette was just like so many others on ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ The contestant was hopeful of making it to the final and ultimately thought she had the winning answer. That was until the host, Pat Sajak, announced he couldn’t accept the answer as Renne had said “seven swans a swimmin’” and not “seven swans a swimming.”

Apparently, dropping the “g” was enough to see Renne lose her $3,850 winnings and ultimately cost her the win. Renne, from Merritt Island, Florida, admitted it didn’t dampen her experience, but the internet wasn’t so convinced. Instead, many were outraged on her behalf, stating Renne clearly had the correct answer and the show was completely unfair.

Lauren and Frank Cleri tried to cheat Moment of Truth out of winnings

The idea behind ‘Moment of Truth’ was simple. All you needed to do was answer extremely personal questions while linked to a polygraph and tell the truth - in front of your family and friends. One lie was all it took to lose your cash prize, which is how Lauren and Frank Cleri thought they would walk away with the jackpot.

The married couple agreed to answer horrifically personal details, including how Lauren wished she’d married her ex-boyfriend and that she’d been unfaithful. They both admitted to The New York Post they had talked about their answer before and would split the cash. The twist? Lauren later admitted she’d never been unfaithful - and they didn’t win anything from the show anyway.

A viewer tried to sue Fear Factor over the disturbing tasks

For years, ‘Fear Factor’ was the show for animal lovers and plenty of members of the public to hate. The American Humane Association expressed several concerns about the safety of animals, but it was January 2005 that really saw things take a turn. It all started with rats being blended on air during the show’s prime time slot.

Part-time paralegal Austin Aitken was one of many watching the episode when he claims he felt so disgusted by the task that his blood pressure rose until he was dizzy. Feeling lightheaded and vomiting supposedly caused him to run into a doorway, with Austin suing NBC for $2.5 million in damages. Ultimately, the judge threw out the case.

Twin sisters drank a disgusting concoction on Fear Factor that was never aired

Believe it or not, but ‘Fear Factor’ was canceled in 2012 before it was brought back in 2017. Here, people were competing for $50,000, but one 2012 task arguably went so far over the line, no one could see it anymore. This time, it was time for twins Brynne and Claire Odioso to step up for the donkey task.

The pair had to drink donkey passings, with the pair later admitting that if they vomited, they had to start over. Apparently, one even said they would “just [vomit] in my glass and [drink] that” to avoid having to start over. Ultimately, the episode was never aired, meaning it was entirely pointless and eventually cost the show its run.

Richard Hatch changed the game with his Survivor appearance and plan

As well as being the most talked-about season, season one of ‘Survivor’ might also be the best - and that’s largely thanks to Richard Hatch. As well as helping to create the “game show villain” persona, Richard had no intention of cheating, not helped by the ever-changing rules and flow of the game. However, it was all about building popularity.

So how was Richard dominating ‘Survivor’ when he was the most unpopular contestant? Easy. All he did was sit and wait as the popular contestants all turned on each other, eventually meaning no one was the favorite to win anymore. As Richard never betrayed anyone, mainly because he was never anyone’s friend in the first place, he won by default.

The IRS eventually caught up with Richard Hatch in 2006 for unpaid taxes

Richard Hatch’s plan was so successful that plenty of stars have tried to recreate the magic since, but there’s one thing they might want to avoid in their grand plan to win: getting caught by the IRS. Richard’s appearance on ‘Survivor’ was enough to lead to a handful more show appearances, such as ‘The Apprentice’ and ‘Dog Eat Dog.’

Sadly, things came crashing down in 2006 when it turned out Richard hadn’t been paying taxes on his $1 million winnings, resulting in three months behind bars. While playing the villain on game shows might have worked out for the star, breaking the law most certainly didn’t - unless prison time was Richard’s ultimate grand prize.

Patrick Quinn was actually a criminal on the run when he appeared on Super Password

The ‘80s saw game shows have their heyday, with plenty of networks bringing their own to life. ‘Super Password’ was one, but there was one contestant who really took things to a new level. That was Patrick Quinn, or so everyone was led to believe. Patrick ultimately won a staggering $58,000 in 1988, but his joy was short-lived.

That’s because a viewer just so happened to be watching his episode and recognized Patrick from a police sketch. They alerted the authorities, and Patrick’s real identity, Kerry Dee Ketchum, meant he was finally caught for faking his wife’s passing to get $100,000 from her life insurance. Ultimately, he was sentenced to five years in prison.

The Popsicle Twins was pulled from The Gong Show after just one airing

‘The Gong Show’ was known for its weird and wonderful performances as amateurs all showed off their talents, with the game show side of it all falling to the wayside over the absurd and outlandish acts. The Popsicle Twins certainly fit that mold. The idea was simple as two teenage girls ate popsicles while sitting on the floor.

However, they didn’t speak, and things were pretty… Bizarre. The judges awarded them a zero, two, and somehow a ten, with NBC stating they saw no issue with the performance and its hidden meaning in rehearsals. Still, after it was broadcast in the Eastern Time Zone, NBC cut the act before it aired later across other time zones.

Viewers were outraged when a 12-year-old was told his answer was wrong on Jeopardy!

Many might assume that if spelling isn’t a part of the game, game shows might be a little lenient when it comes to an answer. What about when it involves a 12-year-old? It turns out even Thomas Hurley wasn’t safe when he appeared on a kids’ special of ‘Jeopardy!’ in 2013 - and it was all down to an extra “it.”

Instead of writing “Emancipation Proclamation,” Thomas wrote “emancipitation,” and that was it. While the show’s winner got $66,000, Thomas ended up in second place with just $2,000. Of course, it wasn’t long before viewers flooded the show’s social media, with host Alex Trebek claiming it was the show’s call to state it was wrong and not his own.

A couple sued Million Dollar Money Drop and accused the show of getting the answer wrong

What happens when you think you’ve won only to see your winnings disappear? That was the case for Andrew and Patricia Murray when they appeared on ‘Million Dollar Money Drop.’ The show sees people get $1 million in cash, but they must place the money over the correct answer and see any wrong guesses drop away through trapdoors.

The pair were asked about the most common computer password and answered “password,” claiming they knew the answer from internet surveys. The twist? The game claimed it was “123456,” and they watched $580,000 fall away. However, the couple later sued Fox for the lost winnings, claiming the show’s answer was based on a hacking incident, not an “objective survey.”

Set For Life failed to recreate the magic of Deal or No Deal

The idea behind ‘Deal or No Deal’ was simple, but ‘Set For Life’ was somehow meant to be even easier. To start, there were 13 light sticks. If someone pulled a red light, their money went down, while a white light saw their money go up. They merely needed to find all the red or white lights or quit.

However, there was also a “guardian angel” who could stop the game whenever they liked - but the contestant had no idea. The idea was the player was actually playing for how long they would receive their check once a month for up to 40 years, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting for seven episodes before they pulled the plug.

Barker’s Beauties filed several lawsuits against The Price Is Right and its former host

From the mid-’90s, things have changed for ‘The Price Is Right.’ The show, alongside Mike Richards and Bob Barker, has been sued by numerous women, once known as Barker’s Beauties, for a host of reasons. Most of the lawsuits involve accusations of harassment, discrimination, and even wrongful termination. Apparently, things only got worse with the cases.

Many women claimed ‘The Price Is Right’ team created a hostile work environment toward anyone who testified against the show and its producer or host. Most of Bob’s lawsuits were settled out of court. However, after he dropped his defamation case against former Barker’s Beauty Holly Hallstrom, she received millions of dollars when she countersued the former host.

Brandi Sherwood-Cochran was one of many to sue The Price Is Right in 2010

Former model Brandi Sherwood-Cochran was one of many to take ‘The Price Is Right’ to court, this time claiming she was fired when she fell pregnant. The star appeared on the show between 2022 and 2009, ultimately bringing the lawsuit for wrongful termination in 2010 as Brandi claims she was fired after returning from maternity leave.

Brandi also stated that producer Mike Richards started treating her differently as soon as she announced she was pregnant. Initially, Brandi was awarded $7.7 million when a jury found she was discriminated against, but this was stripped when it was discovered the jury had been given “poor instructions” before deliberation. Brandi later settled for an undisclosed amount.

The Million Dollar Word Game was criticized for being overly complicated

When you hear about a show called ‘Million Dollar Word Game,’ there’s a good chance you picture contestants answering word puzzles to win a million dollars, right? While it was technically possible, viewers were quick to criticize just how complicated the show was and how no one stood a chance at winning the grand prize.

The game featured 14 puzzles, with each one getting harder. However, no one even won anything until level five, where the puzzles were already incredibly difficult. Plus, contestants weren’t allowed a wrong answer or lifelines, and they were never shown the countdown clock. Even at the end, they had to pick the $1 million box out of 24 to win.

Deal or No Deal was accused of going against anti-gambling laws

‘Deal or No Deal’ mostly focused on people whittling down their boxes until they- hopefully - found a high enough win to walk away happy. However, there was another aspect of it all, the ‘Lucky Case Game,’ which saw viewers at home text in to see if they could guess which of the six on-screen briefcases was the winning gold one.

A couple from Georgia apparently sent several 99-cent texts to the competition but didn’t win a dime and ultimately sued NBC, claiming it went against the state’s gambling laws, and they should be able to reclaim what they spent. However, NBC replied it was a promotional tool and not a lottery, with the judge ultimately ruling in the network’s favor.

People initially thought someone cheated on Wheel of Fortune when she guessed correctly

It usually takes at least a couple of spins of the wheel for contestants on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ to stand a chance of guessing the phrase. However, Caitlin Burke had been studying the show closely before her appearance and learned that “I’ve” was the most common contraction used in the sentences on the game show.

That’s why it merely took an apostrophe and an ‘L’ for her to currently guess “I’ve Got a Good Feeling About This.” Host Pat Sajak wasn’t the only one left speechless, with many accusing Caitlin of cheating. The twist? There were no cheats in sight, just someone who knew how to play ‘Wheel of Fortune’ at its own game.

A contestant tried to cheat on Pasapalabra by using Shazam to get answers

The Spanish game show ‘Pasapalabra’ was a simple game of people guessing the correct artist and title of different songs, but the idea was seemingly too much for one TV presenter and actress. Adriana Abenia appeared on the game show and was quickly accused of cheating when someone noticed a strange light between her legs during a question.

It turned out Adriana had been trying to use ‘Shazam,’ the app that listens to a song and tells you the title and who sings it. Thankfully, the star’s antics were spotted before she got to answer any questions, but host Christian Galvez was blown away. I fact, he said Adriana “deserves a special price” because it was so “[brazen.]”

Police solved a cold case after John Cooper appeared on Bullseye

You might think if someone ended two lives, they'd stay away from cameras. However, John Cooper couldn't resist appearing on the British game show 'Bullseye,' a show that saw people put their darts skills to the test. No one had any idea John was the one to end the lives of siblings Helen and Richard Thomas in 1985.

Four years later, John appeared on the show, but a month after his 'Bullseye' appearance, John ended the lives of couple Gwenda and Peter Dixon. Detectives thought a police sketch matched John, but it wasn't until 2009 that DNA proved he was guilty. In 2011, John was found guilty on all counts, with footage from 'Bullseye' being used in court.

Neil Tejwani admitted to deliberately gaining weight before the weigh-in on The Biggest Loser

While ‘The Biggest Loser’ might not immediately fall into the category of game shows, it does see people compete to lose weight for a chance to win the grand prize money, so it kind of counts. Sadly, Neil Tejwani’s time on the show in season four was eventually tainted when it turned out he deliberately gained 17 pounds.

Apparently, Neil drank a huge amount of water to see his competitor eliminated, but Neil later told People magazine that it was about keeping his original blue team members and not sabotaging his competitor’s journey. Sadly, the trainers weren’t impressed, with Jilian Michaels and Bob Harper both calling out Neil’s actions, with the former calling it “disgusting.”

Keith Michael was disqualified from Project Runway for keeping forbidden books

Being a competition has seen plenty of competitors go to extreme lengths while battling it out on ‘Project Runway.’ That includes Keith Michael. The contestant was a part of season three but was ultimately disqualified when producers discovered pattern-making books in his room. However, Keith has a different side of the story, claiming he never cheated.

The rule was to stop people from having an unfair advantage over others, with Keith stating one book was a “dictionary of production terms” and the other was the “most detailed pattern book” about menswear, saying the show largely featured women’s clothing. After learning the show to supposedly look for a key for four hours, Keith was out for good.

Project Runway booted Claire Buitendorp for bringing a tape measure with her

Several years later, in season 16, Claire Buitendorp admitted she also had something ‘Project Runway’ had banned from the set: a tape measure. Apparently, she had been using it at the apartment to take measurements of a tank top that she wanted to recreate in the workroom. Amazingly, Claire had just won a challenge before the tape measure was found.

Other competitors were already suspicious that Claire was cheating or copying their previous work, with the judges claiming it wasn’t against the rules to get inspiration from others. When someone brought up the tape measure, Claire admitted she’d been measuring garments but later backtracked when she was disqualified from the competition, stating she had never used it.

Who Wants To Marry A Multi-Millionaire faced controversy from the beginning

It didn’t take long for ‘Who Wants To Marry A Multi-Millionaire’ to raise more than a few eyebrows. After all, the idea was like a worse version of ‘The Bachelor,’ with 50 women competing in a pageant for the chance to marry a wealthy man they had never met, with their wedding taking place at the end of the show.

It was instantly labeled a controversial choice, with the awkward newlywed kiss acting like the icing on the cake. However, nothing seemed to stop fans of the show from buying it all. That was until the truth about multi-millionaire Rick Rockwell came out. Apparently, he was far from the person he claimed to be on the show.

Darva Conger distanced herself from Rick Rockwell as soon as WWTMAMM wrapped

As well as not actually being a millionaire, it turned out Rick Rockwell had a history of domestic violence, which escaped the show because he didn’t use his real name. Darva Conger was ultimately the one to win his hand in marriage, but she threw Rick under the bus at the first chance she got.

Darva filed for an annulment as soon as the show was through and distanced herself from the matter, all while telling anyone and everyone that they were never intimate after their wedding ceremony. Even all the money in the world couldn’t bring that back for Rick, who seemingly learned how quickly lies can unravel when the truth is revealed.

Several contestants had surgery complications and mental health issues after The Swan

Game shows come in all shapes and sizes, but what about one that sees women who have never felt beautiful getting the chance to go through several rounds of cosmetic surgery until they compete in a pageant in the hopes of getting crowned The Swan? It was instantly met with criticism and for plenty of good reasons.

The show’s title seemingly missed the mark from Hans Christian Anderson’s original tale, where the “ugly duckling” realized it was beautiful all along without changing. To make matters worse, plenty of contestants were left with several complications from their surgeries, with others finding their already-present mental health issues were a lot worse by the end of it all.

Disney was forced to pay the creators of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? millions of dollars

‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ was an instant hit for ABC, taking the network from number four to number one in the network ratings. Celador, a British company, sold the rights to the show to Buena Vista Television and ABC for a fifty-fifty share in any profits. Sadly, Disney, the owners of ABC, soon found themselves in hot water.

Disney accounts showed ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’ never turned a profit and actually lost the network $70 million. A 2004 lawsuit was filed, and a jury ultimately disagreed the show had been a loss. In 2010, Celadro was awarded $269.4 million, stating Disney had breached its contract, a sentence that was upped to $320 million in 2012.

One The Chop: Britain’s Top Woodworker contestant was accused of having offensive tattoos

Plenty of game shows look to change the game, and ‘The Chop: Britain’s Top Woodworker’ hoped to do just that. It was meant to be an innocent woodworking show about people competing to walk away victorious, but it didn’t take long for viewers to have major issues with one of the contestants - in particular, his facial tattoos. 

Darren Lumsden was covered in various inkings and had the number “88” on his cheek, with many claiming it was a far-right symbol. Even though Darren denied the claims, the show was canceled, with A&E UK claiming they “sincerely apologise [sic] for that” and how complaints “did not prompt further investigation at an earlier stage.”

A law student might have won Millionaire Hot Seat by analyzing the host’s body language

The jury is still out about whether or not Khaled El-Katateny cheated during his time on the Australian quiz show ‘Millionaire Hot Seat.’ Ultimately, Khaled walked away with $100,000 in winnings, but he later admitted that he used an unusual strategy: he analyzed the host’s body language before answering questions. So, was it cheating?

The 19-year-old law student didn’t think so. Khaled stated he would look at how Eddie McGuire asked questions and which answer he reacted to before getting five questions correct and walking away victorious. Khaled claimed nothing he did was against the rules, while ‘Millionaire Hot Seat’ producers laughed off the claims and said Eddie gave nothing away during the episode.

Who’s Your Daddy? prompted a lot of backlash when someone had to search for her birth father

With a show like ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ it might be little surprise people were more than upset with the concept. TJ Myers had been adopted when she was a baby and was now competing to see if she could figure out who her real birth father was from a choice of different men in a bid to win $100,000.

If Myers guessed correctly, she won. However, if she chose the wrong man, they won the $100,000 prize. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the show only lasted for one episode, with many stating it was exploitative and trivialized people’s adoption experiences. Although ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ had six episodes, the rest were shelved after TJ’s episode aired in 2005.

Korilla BBQ was accused of cheating during The Great Food Truck Race

A show about food trucks racing to see who could make the most money in a bid to win $50,000 was enough to see plenty glued to their seats. That was until Korilla BBQ was accused of cheating during their time on ‘The Great Food Truck Race.’ After each challenge, the truck with the lowest sales would be eliminated.

However, Korilla BBQ was accused of adding its own funds to its sales in a bid to win. The owners maintained their innocence, stating they merely knew they couldn’t sell meat while competing in Memphis. Owner Eddie Song said they formed a partnership with a local restaurant, but it wasn’t good enough, and they were off the show.

Erik Estrada got a little too excited when competing on Pictionary

Game shows don’t always solely rely on regular members of the public to bring the show to life. Sometimes, celebrities make special guest appearances, and that was the case back in 1997 when actor Erik Estrada appeared on ‘Pictionary.’ Still, you might be forgiven for thinking he was trying out for ‘Gladiator’ instead after Erik’s appearance.

Erik had just successfully deciphered a phrase and was celebrating when he threw his fists into the air and accidentally caught comedian Bill Maher in the face. The show quickly cut away to avoid capturing something terrible, only to return to Bill with a compress on his nose while Erik sheepishly kept his hands to himself.

Megan Wants a Millionaire was pulled when a contestant ended the life of his wife

Dating game shows were once everywhere we looked, and ‘Megan Wants A Millionaire’ was no exception. ‘Rock of Love’ had already proved how popular the idea was, and it wasn’t long before model Megan Haserman had her own show. After several appearances on VH1 reality shows, Megan now wanted a wealthy husband to settle down with.

Three episodes later, ‘Megan Wants a Millionaire’ was canceled. Why? That was thanks to Ryan Jenkins - who ultimately placed third on the show - who was revealed to have ended someone’s life. After leaving the show, Ryan married Jasmine Fiore but ended her life a few months later. Ryan ultimately ended his own life days after Jasmine’s body was discovered.

Ray Combs’ life took a sharp downward turn after losing Family Feud

‘Family Feud’ has been on-and-off-again for years, but it was Ray Combs who really brought the show back to life. The star was hired as host of the show for its revival in 1988 after it was canceled in 1985 and really turned things around, with Ray a part of it all until he was let go in 1994.

A sharp ratings decline saw Richard Dawson brought in to replace Ray, but the former host was left distraught over the chop. Sadly, losing the best job of his career was just the beginning of Ray’s downfall. Within two years, his businesses failed, his marriage crumbled, and he was involved in a car accident that left Ray with chronic pain.

The former Family Feud host ultimately took his own life following a public meltdown

Tragically, Ray Combs ultimately ended his own life while he was staying in a psychiatric ward following a public meltdown. Although his tragic end wasn’t as a direct result of losing ‘Family Feud,’ it seems losing that gig might have been surrounded by scandal. Apparently, Jonathan Goodson was working as a producer at the time.

Jonathan took over the role from his dad, Mark Goodson, who had vowed never to bring back Richard Dawson as host. However, Jonathon went back on his dad’s word, which was seemingly salt in the wounds for Ray. After bringing in millions of dollars in profit for ‘Family Feud,’ it seemed as though Ray was merely pushed to the side.

Playing It Straight was pulled after just three episodes after critics labeled it offensive

Heading back to the theme of 2000s dating game shows, ‘Playing It Straight’ was meant to offer something entirely new to the market. The problem? It actually did everything wrong and caused a lot of offense and upset along the way. The idea of the show was perfectly 2000s, with a woman named Jackie acting as the star.

Here, she dated 14 men, but the twist was only five were straight, and the other nine were LGBTQ. If she chose an LGBTQ man, he would win all $1 million. If Jackie chose a straight man, they could split the winnings. After three episodes, the show was pulled, with Jackie later claiming “something deeper” was behind the chop.

Soul Train later confessed it rigged its Scramble Board part of the show

Some shows make everything about a game, while others have aspects sprinkled here and there. ‘Soul Train’ was one of the latter, with the ‘Scramble Board’ part of it all acting as a way to see people walk away victorious - every time. The idea was two dancers had 60 seconds to unscramble letters to reveal a name.

These were always a performer on the show or a notable person from African American history, but host Don Cornelius later confessed that it was almost always rigged. Apparently, they didn’t want to embarrass African American contestants on the show, so they made sure that people would always get the right answer from the start.

A couple on Million Dollar Money Drop might have lost despite getting the right answer

Not long after ‘Million Dollar Money Drop’ was accused of cheating another couple out of their winnings, couple Brittany Mayati and Gabe Okoye had the exact same experience when they lost $800,000 on the show. They were asked which item was sold first in the US and, after some bickering, answered Post-it Notes with a fair amount of confidence.

The twist? They lost for getting… The correct answer. However, the show claimed the Walkman was sold in 1979, while Post-Its were only market-tested in 1977. Outrage on social media and the couple claiming they were cheated out of their prize was enough to see Brittany and Gabe invited back - only for the show to be canceled.

Our Little Genius was canceled before it even aired

Mark Burnett has been behind a host of successful shows, including ‘The Apprectine’ and ‘Survivor,’ but there was one the creator couldn’t get off the ground: ’Our Little Genius.’ It was meant to air in January 2010, so what went wrong? That would be the FCC review that was launched before it hit the small screen

Apparently, the show was meant to showcase smart kids as they answered trivia questions, but a parent of one of the contestants claimed a producer had handed their child answers before the cameras started rolling. Rather than risk his other shows getting dragged down too, Mark pulled the plug, and ‘Our Little Genius’ was gone before it started.

Are You Hot? was canceled after just one season after plenty of backlash

Want a show all about traveling the US in search of the most beautiful person? What about forgetting all about their personality or traits and merely focusing on their physical appearance? If it sounds like your kind of thing, ‘Are You Hot?’ could have been the show for you. Sadly for the series, it was canceled after one season.

The idea was for thousands of hopefuls to apply before a panel of “expert” judges traveled to the “Hot Zones” to whittle down the list until one woman and one man were left standing. Chantille Boudousque from New Orleans was the first and last winner of the show after a severe amount of backlash saw it gone for good.

A mispronunciation saw a Jeopardy! winner have their winnings revoked

The US is filled with all kinds of accents, but it was precisely that fact that stopped Reid Rogers from winning ‘Jeopardy!’ back in 2012. The Nebraska contestant buzzed in and answered “Wimbledon” after a question about an 1884 tennis tournament came up, and host Alex Trebek was quick to award Reid the win - until he took it back.

Just moments later, the producers of the show informed Alex that Reid had apparently said “Wilble-ton” and not “Wimble-don” for the answer, instantly losing his $400 win. In the end, Reid came second, but viewers were less than impressed, stating even Alex heard the correct answer or he wouldn’t have awarded the win in the first place.

Bob Barker walked off The Price Is Right when a contestant revealed an item’s worth

If you’re a contestant on a game show, the chances are it’s a good idea to do what the game is meant to do - not make up your own rules. Amazingly, Bob Barker was left speechless when a contestant took things into his own hands during one episode of ‘The Price Is Right,’ specifically during a game of ‘Flip Flop.’

The aim is to uncover an item’s price through a series of flip-flopped squares. However, instead of playing the game, contestant Brenton simply walked up to the button that reveals the price and pressed it, making the entire game pointless. In the end, Bob was so unamused he walked off set before returning to give Brenton his prize.

People accused someone of cheating on The Price Is Right when he got the exact amount

It turns out one contestant wasn’t cheating during his time on ‘The Price Is Right,’ but his answer didn’t stop people from accusing Terry Kniess of doing just that. For 38 years, no one had ever gotten the exact right price, with host Drew Carey even stating there was “no chance you just happened to know that.”

Apparently, Terry loved patterns and had been watching the show with his wife for four months, studying the prizes that were repeated multiple times. Making it to the final round saw him guess the showcase would be worth around $23,000. For the last three digits, he used his wedding date and wife’s birth month to land on $23,743.

Chuck Barris had a lot to say when The Gong Show was canceled

Even though it was getting good ratings, ‘The Gong Show’ was ultimately canceled in 1978. Many wondered what was really going on, with NBC announcing it was due to “lower than expected ratings” and as a way to reschedule the network. Other insiders claimed it was because Chuck Barris wouldn’t tone down the risqué nature of the show.

Sadly, Chuck was less than impressed. However, he still appeared in every episode and acted like a professional - until the final episode. Here, Chuck appeared as a contestant, played a modified version of the song ‘Take this Job and Shove It,’ and even cursed at the camera to really drive his point home before he was escorted off the set.

Michael Larson studied Press Your Luck’s patterns to cheat the system

Studying patterns can go a long way when it comes to appearing on a game show. In fact, it was Michael Larson’s appearance on ‘Press Your Luck’ that really changed the game after he walked away with $110,237 in May 1984, around $289,653 in today’s money. Apparently, it was all down to the patterns on the game board.

The ice cream truck operator apparently studied when and where things would come up to minimize the chance of landing a Whammy and getting his score reset to zero. Although it wasn’t against the rules, Michael’s time on the show was enough to see ‘Press Your Luck’ switch things up to greater randomize its game board.

Dotto sparked the beginning of the 1950s game show cheating scandal downfall

The 1950s really saw the downfall of game shows in the US, as it turned out most of them had been rigged. Eventually, ‘Dotto’ was the first show to be called out. The general knowledge game saw people try to guess who was being portrayed in a connect-the-dots picture, with a correct answer earning them another dot.

In 1958, ‘Dotto’ suddenly disappeared without warning. Apparently, host Jack Narz was told CBS discovered it was rigged, and he was ordered to “keep out of sight” and remain silent. Ed Hilgemeier was the one to speak out, claiming he’d seen long-running ‘Dotto’ champion Marie Winn studying answers backstage to questions that hadn’t been asked before taping.

No one believed Herb Stempel when he reported Twenty-One was cheating

The fall of ‘Dotto’ eventually caused the biggest game show scandal of all: the fall of ‘Twenty-one.’ It started with Herb Stempel, a 29-year-old college student who claimed he was urged by his wife to apply for the show. The problem? Producer Daniel Enright supposedly visited Herb at home and told him he’d win $24,000 if he “[played] ball.”

Five weeks and $50,000 later, Herb’s coaching and cues on how to look stumped paid off. Eventually, Enright told Herb that ‘Twenty-One’ needed a chance, but he could work behind-the-scenes on the show when he lost. When that job never paid off, Herb tried to speak out about the rigging, but no one believed the claims.

Charles Van Doren admitted Twenty-One was in on his cheating scandal

In a bid to get Herb Stempel off ‘Twenty-One,’ Charles Van Doren was brought in to beat the reigning champion. The problem? He was ultimately on the show for 14 weeks, and the nation fell in love with the game show star. Eventually, Charles won $128 and became a household name, with viewing numbers through the roof.

People couldn’t wait to see if Charles would live to see another day, with the show continually denying things were scripted. However, when congressional investigators stepped in, Charles admitted ‘Twenty-One’ had been supplying him with the answers. His time at the top had come to an end, and the scandal means cheating on a game show is now illegal.

Criminal Rodney Alcala won an episode of The Dating Game in the middle of his spree

Rodney Alcala seemed to be just like anyone else when he appeared on 'The Dating Game' back in 1978. However, there was something about him that just didn't sit right with contestant Cheryl Bradshaw. Even though Rodney won, Cheryl said he was "too creepy" and refused to go on a date with him after the show.

Little did anyone know that Rodney had already assaulted a child and was in the middle of his criminal spree. In fact, some theorize Cheryl's rejection might have triggered Rodney to end even more lives. Ultimately, Rodney was caught and admitted to ending at least 30 lives, with some thinking the true number could be over 100.