With the retirement of “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak, Drew Carey becomes the longest-tenured sportscast host after taking over for Bob Barker in 2007 — with no plans to retire.
Drew Carey loves what he does and has no plans of stopping any time soon. The longtime host of The value is adequatewho took over in 2007 after By Bob Barker retirement, is now the longest-serving sports talk show host in the world.
As he enjoys his 17th year behind the long-stemmed microphone, Carey opened up about how much he loves his job, some of the things he sees in many of the contestants and why he changed Barker’s traditional farewell.
While talking to TV InsiderHe joked that many of the times the contestants “Come on!” they’ve already started having fun. “It happens here regularly,” he shared. “They’ll eat a gummy bear, or I’ll smell alcohol on their breath. It’s common.”
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He then shared one man in particular who showed up “tripping on mushrooms.” Carey said, “He came with a bunch of his friends. He was a sketch (comedy) guy.” Only Carey had no idea at the time — at least as far as the background of the sketch; he was probably pretty sure this guy was on to something.
“Later, when I went to UCB (Vertical Citizens Brigade) to hang out, I found out they were like, ‘Did you see that guy who claimed to be a skateboard rabbi?’” Carey recalled. “I asked him what he did for a living. And he said, ‘I’m a skateboard rabbi.’ He didn’t think he would be chosen and completely tripped up.”
Carey also explained why he decided to tweak Barker’s iconic endorsement, which he continued for years and years. A true animal lover, Barker would always end his show by reminding viewers “to spay and neuter your pets.”
Carey, however, gives this wise recommendation for The value is appropriate viewers, however, he has added something more that is meaningful to him. “Maintain yourself, especially your psychological health,” he says on the show. “It is so necessary. And I like you.”
As for why he puts these phrases out there every day, Carey defined, “It’s necessary for me. I had been through a difficult few years and wanted to put my psychological well-being first. It was a great help for me to try this and never succumb to disappointment or sadness.”
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He shared that with the assistance of his therapist and doctor, he realized how someone can “discover tools to not completely go down. That’s all it is: ways and tools you can possibly learn to help your mind not go down the drain.”
“You can get into the habit of feeling depressed and not knowing how to get out. You normalize it, or you normalize feeling bad about yourself,” Carey added, explaining how easy it can be to slide into a dangerous position with your mental health.
“Life will be so much better with love, forgiveness, boundaries, expressing your thoughts, telling your facts and living your honest life,” he said. “I really feel better being here. Then I move it to the side.”
He also argued that there is still a stigma around talking about mental health, or even acknowledging it, with people not speaking out openly because “they don’t want to appear weak or entitled or be called, “Oh, that man is being an idiot. He’s asserting his worth and can’t take anything else. Why doesn’t he play alongside everyone else?’”
Now that he’s in a better place personally, Carey is clearly having the time of his life in what has become the longest job he’s ever had. He spent 9 years on his hit show Drew Carey’s Gift and as host of After all, whose line is it? (with most of these years occurring simultaneously).
Although he said he doesn’t consider himself the longest-serving sports talk show host, he stated, “I have a purpose: I want to keep going until I die.” Despite this, he joked that while he is in his 18th season, “I need to catch 35 and 41 so I can catch Bob Barker and Pat Sajak.”
He said that while he worried about reaching the end of his contract, he thought about five or ten years. Once he reached that milestone, which surpassed his previous revelations, he declared: “Wow, this is the longest job I’ve ever had in my life. It’s just such a great part of my day, my year, my life. I can’t think of quitting.”
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“I don’t like CBS knowing this,” he laughed. “However, it will be a few years until my next contract negotiation. So maybe I forgot to say that. I can stop whenever I want!”
That said, he says it’s a very enjoyable set to work with. He loves interacting with the contestants, saying, “They’re normal people who have a normal life. That’s normal in America right here.”
“Ordinary people attract more attention than celebrities. In fact,” he added. “They all had their own problems to overcome and their own demons to get into in their own private lives. I learn more from them than from anyone else.”
Furthermore, he will join the spectators and everyone there rooting for the contestants to do well. “Everyone wants to see people win,” he said. “They’re thinking, ‘What would I do? How would I be in their shoes?’ … It’s not my money — it’s CBS’s money, and we’re all trying to get it all together.”
The value is adequate is currently in its 52nd season, airing weekdays on CBS, with regular primetime airings throughout the year.