Vanesa from Virginia is nearly a quarter million dollars richer after scoring a historic money prize on “The Price is Right.”
The retired veteran, who appeared on Friday’s Mother’s Day-themed episode, nabbed $240,150 in cash and prizes following several rounds of “The Lion’s Share” — the BetMGM-branded grocery price guessing game — on the beloved CBS daytime show.
It’s the largest one-game payout in the 54-year history of “The Price Is Right,” making it a milestone moment for the mainstay game show.
Vanesa’s daughter watched from the audience as her mother — clad in a bright shirt featuring shades of orange and pink, emblazoned with butterflies — won the windfall.
In the new “Lion’s Share” game — which replaced the former “Pay the Rent” game last year — players step into a chamber and guess the prices of groceries to earn up to five balls.
The balls reveal the prizes they’ve scored for that round, and players must then choose to risk their prizes by continuing to play or keep the winnings they already have.
Vanesa began by scoring $2,500 before winning $25,000 followed by two wins of $100,000. After winning a trip for two to Morocco valued at nearly $13,000, her total winnings rose to a jaw-dropping $240,150.
The massive haul is far higher than the previous single-game record of $210,000 for a round of “Cliffhangers” back in 2016.
The contestant grew emotional following her big win, screaming, jumping and hugging host Drew Carey after nabbing the Moroccan vacation. Her daughter was seen happily applauding the win.
“Vanesa, nice job,” Carey gushed, noting that she’d won “almost a quarter mil.”
“Nice job,” he added. “That’s amazing. Happy retirement.” Carey explained later in the episode that Vanesa’s win had been historic.
“Just so you know, Vanesa, she won $240,150 in cash and prizes, which makes her the biggest pricing game winner in ‘Price is Right’ daytime history,” he said, adding, “Congratulations.”
In a statement obtained by Variety, Vanesa admitted she’d been “nervous” and laid out plans for her payout.
“From ‘Come on Down’ to playing ‘The Lion’s Share,’ it all felt so surreal – a dream moment that only kept getting bigger,” she said in the statement.
“I was nervous, excited and everything at once,” she added. “Winning over $200,000 is life changing. I plan to invest wisely, enjoy a little and treat my mom to a special surprise.”
