The Bob Barker era of “The Price is Right” was much more than meets the eye, according to stunning new accusations levied in a new behind-the-scenes ducuseries.
In a clip of the new episode of E!’s documentary series “Dirty Rotten Scandals,” which premieres today, it’s alleged that the beloved game show was marred by a hostile work environment, sexual harassment and discrimination.
Kathleen Bradley and Holly Hallstrom — two of the famed “Barker’s Beauties” — detail some of the activity that made the models uncomfortable on the set of the game show during the time it was hosted by Barker.
“When I initially started the show, everybody was pretty cool, really friendly, especially the crew. But over a course of time, I kind of noticed the guys were kind of talking, looking, gawking at the girls. I found out this is a little more commonplace than I thought,” Bradley shares of her time at the show.
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Tonight’s episode also reveals that the behavior was not just directed at the show’s models.
Barbara Hunter, who served as a producer beginning in the mid-1970s, claimed, “One time, I was in the elevator and one of the men just stuck their hands right on my boobs.”
“I had to push him away, I didn’t say anything. It became instinct to know how to handle it.”
Bradley shared a specific incident where she says she was faced with a handsy stagehand.
“One guy in particular. He was a little friendly, too friendly. He would rub up against us, joking around. It’s totally inappropriate. I learned the stagehand had been around on the set for a long time and was probably doing it to all the other girls,” she said.
“When I reported this guy to the producers? To my surprise, no action was taken. I was really taken aback. This was really sexual harassment. So I took matters into my own hands.”
Bradley recalled a day on set when an area was set up with golf clubs.
“I said, ‘Do you know how to play golf?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I play a little bit. Come here. Let me show you,'” she explained.
“So I let him get behind me. And I said, uh. I backed up and accidentally hit him right in the groin — accidentally on purpose, that was,” Bradley claimed.
“We were so exhausted and tired of the treatment. You just have to do what you have to do.”
Hallstrom said that if anyone complained, the host “would have told her to get over it or look for a new job.”
The complaints began to go up the ladder to CBS, at which time they allegedly implemented a “10-Second Rule,” indicating that no one could “openly stare at a model for more than 10 seconds.”
Barker, who hosted the show for 35 years, died in 2023 at age 99.
“Dirty Rotten Scandals: The Price Is Right” premieres tonight at 9:00pm ET/PT on E!