The Price Is Right models

Barker's Beauties is a term coined by Mark Goodson used from 1972-2007 to refer to the collective group of models appearing on The Price Is Right. Since Bob Barker's retirement in 2007, the models are now simply referred to as The Price Is Right Models when making public appearances with current host Drew Carey.

History

Over 25 women have appeared as models on Price Is Right since the show's debut in 1972. For the first three years of The Price Is Right, there were just two models – Janice Pennington and Anitra Ford. Dian Parkinson joined Pennington and Ford in 1975 after previously appearing periodically as a substitute model.

Ford left the show in 1976 and was later replaced by Holly Hallstrom who joined the cast in 1977. Pennington, Parkinson and Hallstrom appeared as the three principal models on both the daytime and syndicated versions of the show from the mid-1970s through the early 1990s.

In December 1990 the three were joined by the show's first permanent African American model, Kathleen Bradley. During this period, Kyle Aletter-Oldham appeared as the substitute model whenever one of the principal models was unable to appear in a given episode.

Parkinson left the show in 1993 "to pursue other interests" as stated by Barker, although speculation among some felt her departure was due to ongoing difficulties with Pennington. The following year, Parkinson filed a lawsuit claiming that host and executive producer Barker had been sexually harassing her beginning in the 1980s. Parkinson withdrew the suit in 1995.

Parkinson was replaced by several other women (including Cindy Margolis) until Gena Lee Nolin was hired in 1993. Hallstrom was dismissed from the show in 1995 by Barker on the basis of weight gain (due to prescription medication), although Hallstrom alleged that she was dismissed for her refusal to support Barker in his then-ongoing litigation with Parkinson. Barker sued Hallstrom for slander and libel and Hallstrom countersued Barker for wrongful termination and age, weight and medical discrimination. Hallstrom prevailed in 2005 and was awarded a multi-million dollar settlement.

After Hallstrom's termination and Nolin's departure that same year, Chantel Dubay was hired as the third model in 1996. Dubay left the show in 1999 and was replaced by Nikki Ziering.

In 2000, both Pennington and Bradley were dismissed from the show by the production company in (what was claimed as) an attempt to attract a younger demographic. Again speculation of ulterior motives when both women were dismissed after testifying in Barker's failed lawsuit against Hallstrom. Both Pennington and Bradley sued for wrongful termination and settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

Pennington and Bradley were replaced by Heather Kozar and Claudia Jordan in 2000. Ziering and Kozar both left the program in 2002. At this time, Jordan became the only "permanent" model and was joined by a rotating cast of additional models.

Jordan's departure came in 2003 after she formally complained about racial discrimination on the set. Jordan then filed suit for Wrongful Termination and Racial Discrimination. Jordan also received an out of court settlement. After Jordan's dismissal, the show no longer featured the same model or group of models on a daily basis. In addition to several models who are more-or-less a permanent part of the cast, new models appear every few weeks who sometimes eventually join the rotation, or other times appear for a single set of tapings. That procedure was changed in late 2008 as contracts expired.

Currently, the show uses five permanent models, three of which appear on any given episode – Lanisha Cole, Rachel Reynolds, Amber Lancaster, and Gwendolyn Osbourne Smith, and Manuela Arbeláez. Arbeláez, who participated in the 2008 model search, became the fifth regular model in the rotation in 2009 when Brandi Sherwood went on maternity leave.

Drew Carey has indicated in an interview with USA Today that he prefers to simply refer to the models by name as opposed to giving them a nickname. In addition, they are now referred as "The Price Is Right Models" when making public appearances with Carey, such as at the 2008 Pepsi 500, where Carey was the grand marshal, and the Seattle Sounders FC fashion gala where the Major League Soccer team, of which Carey is a minority owner, unveiled their new uniforms for the 2009 season. As part of the change, the show's models are now listed in the show's full credit roll, starting with December 2009 episodes, just before the announcer is listed in the credit roll.

Guest models

In February 2006, supermodel Tyra Banks appeared as a guest Barker's Beauty. She assisted with It's in the Bag and Card Game.

Since 2007, when Drew Carey began hosting, celebrities and sports professionals have appeared during specific segments on many episodes to promote prizes related to their professions, including Wayne Newton (Las Vegas trip), Lou Ferrigno (fitness equipment), Reba McEntire (Academy of Country Music Awards), Jim Nantz (NCAA Final Four trip), Heidi Newfield, and the United States women's national soccer team.

Most prizes on the show are offered as product placements. During Season 37, manufacturers of these products began offering their representatives to model the equipment, such as athletes signed to play with that brand's equipment or who represent a specific sports manufacturer, musicians under contract with the instrument's manufacturer or corporate representatives of another product or service. They have mostly appeared during One Bids but also during the Showcase. Carey will generally introduce the individual modeling the prize and their affiliation to the manufacturer or prize provider.

In both 2009 and 2010, Kathy Kinney appeared as a model on the April Fool's Day episode, reprising her role as Mimi Bobeck from The Drew Carey Show. In 2009, she appeared as a model, and in 2010, she took over as the kayfabe executive producer, with the show's models trading places with three male staff members.

Often, a crossover with other CBS Daytime or Primetime show will be included with the stars of those shows in question modeling prizes. These crossovers have included The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Amazing Race (Nate "Flight Time" Lofton and Herbert "Big Easy" Lang of the Harlem Globetrotters, contestants on the show, modeled a Sport Court driveway basketball court and a Showcase), Let's Make a Deal (host Wayne Brady), and The Bold and the Beautiful.

Staff members as models

In some cases, production staff and family members have modeled prizes. Producer Kathy "Fingers" Greco modeled a rug and her husband Frank, a Los Angeles-area golf professional, modeled golf clubs. Sherell Paris, an executive assistant, helped model a karaoke machine.

Rod Roddy, the show's second announcer, modeled men's watches and suits used in One Bids. Roddy, Johnny Olson and Rich Fields also appeared in Showcase skits, sometimes modeling the prizes.

Production staff members' children have appeared on camera when items for children are offered.

Former FremantleMedia staffer Mandel Ilagan, who developed ½ Off, played a piano offered as a prize in 2009.

During the April 1, 2010 episode, in fitting the April Fool's Day theme of the show, three different members of the production staff swapped roles with the show's models.

Conflicts with Barker

In addition to the litigation mentioned above, several other staff members have filed lawsuits against Barker and the program, alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination. After Parkinson brought forth sexual harassment allegations against Barker, he called a press conference to admit a past consensual sexual relationship with her.

When asked in a USA Today interview about the four most famous Beauties, Barker replied, "They've been such a problem. I don't want to say anything about them. They're disgusting; I don't want to mention them." Barker gave praise to the models featured during his final years as host of the program, calling them "the best models we've ever had."

All lawsuits, except for Hallstrom's, were settled out of court at the production company's insistence. Barker himself dropped his slander suit against Hallstrom, who immediately countersued and ultimately received millions in settlement.

Nighttime versions

The daytime models appeared on the 1970s syndicated nighttime version as well, with a few notable exceptions. In the earliest episodes, a third model named Harriet was present; her last name is unknown, but she holds the distinction of being Price's first black model. Additional models besides Parkinson were also featured on the nighttime show, including Janice's sister Ann Pennington and a model named Jenny who even had a Showcase with her as the main character, in which she was an artist painting the contestant's prizes.

On the 1985 syndicated version Janice, Dian, and Holly appeared throughout the run.

For the 1994 syndicated show hosted by Doug Davidson, however, an entirely separate cast of models was featured: Julie Lynn Cialini, Ferrari Farris, and Lisa Stahl.

Since the debut of the CBS prime time series in 2002 and beginning with The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectaculars in 2003, there are often situations where four to seven models appear on each episode.

List of models on The Price is Right

Name	Debut	Departure	Notes
Kyle Aletter	1981	1996	Substitute model.
Manuela Arbeláez	2008	Present	First Hispanic model on the show, participated in 2008 Model Search. Joined cast during Brandi Sherwood's pregnancy.
Kathleen Bradley	1990	2000	First African American model on the daytime show.
Starr Campbell	2004	2005
Lanisha Cole	2003	Present
Phire Dawson	2005	2008
Chantel Dubay	1996	1999
Jennifer England	2002	2003
Anitra Ford	1972	1976
Lisa Gleave	2002	2003
Teri Harrison	2003	2005
Holly Hallstrom	1977	1995	Left in 1983, returned in 1984.
Claudia Jordan	2001	2003
Lauren Jones	2007	2007	On for five weeks.
Heather Kozar	2001	2002
Amber Lancaster	2008	Present
Cindy Margolis	1995	1996
Tamiko Nash	2007	2008
Gena Lee Nolin	1994	1996
Gwendolyn Osbourne	2005	Present	Pregnancy acknowledged by Drew Carey on-air in 2008; returned late in Season 36.
Dian Parkinson	1975	1993
Janice Pennington	1972	2000
Rebecca Mary Pribonic	2004	2006
Rachel Reynolds	2003	Present
Stephanie Leigh Schlund	2008	2008
Brandi Sherwood	2002	2009	Pregnancy acknowledged by Drew Carey during a January 5, 2009 taping. Went on maternity leave but never returned. Dismissed from the show on February 23, 2010
Shane Stirling	2002	2008	Maternity leave took place during host transition in 2007.
Gabrielle Tuite	2003	2008
Natasha Yi	2003	2004	First Asian American model on the show.
Nikki Zeno	2005	2005
Nikki Ziering	1999	2002