Not even COVID-19 could keep this Whatcom resident from appearing on a TV game show
Since she was a young girl, Ferndale’s Debbie Gwaltney said TV game shows have been one of her favorite things.
“The thought of possibly winning a prize is so exciting,” she told The Bellingham Herald.
She’s even a game show veteran, making it on stage three times — twice on “The Price is Right,” once each with Bob Barker and Drew Carey, and once on “Let’s Make a Deal.”
And not even a pandemic could keep her from making a fourth appearance.
Gwaltney, an executive assistant for Barron Heating, will be a contestant for the second time on “Let’s Make a Deal” with host Wayne Brady at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, on KIRO, Channel 7. And just in case the episode is preempted by coverage of the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, as it has recently, Gwaltney said show producers told her it will be available to download or stream at CBS.com or on CBS All Access.
“During this time of COVID and how difficult it’s been and the effect it’s had on our lives, where we can’t go out and do anything, it’s been a tough feeling,” Gwaltney said. “For me, having an outlet and being able to do something I love so much, just the joy it brought to me — it was such an exciting way to end such a difficult year on a high note.”
Gwaltney’s episode was recorded Dec. 17, and she’s had to wait nearly two months to see it. Fortunately, that’s nothing compared to the seven months she had to wait the last time she was on the show in 2016.
“I can’t wait for it to air,” she said. “You’re in the moment, and you have all this adrenaline. I can remember parts of what happened, but not everything. It’s so exciting — an absolute thrill to be a part of it.”
Gwaltney said she got the call to be on the show after producers were talking about her during an appearance she made on a virtual version of the game last spring, when the show was held completely virtually for $100 gift cards.
She got the call asking if she was interested, she said, and next thing she knew she was on the phone with five producers interviewing her.
Because she lives more than a 1,000 miles away in Whatcom County and due to the restrictions we all feel every day due to COVID-19, producers determined it would be best for Gwaltney to compete virtually from the comfort of her home on Zoom.
Picking a costume that would work on a video conference was even easy for her, as Gwaltney said she’s known as “The Crazy Seahawks Lady” as a caller to KAFE radio.
“My first thought was being a football referee,” she said. “You can see it in the screen shot from my family room. It was perfect.”
Filming took the better part of a day, as the show filmed three episodes, Gwaltney said, giving her a chance to interact with other contestants in her Zoom meeting throughout the day.
“Wayne Brady would talk with us a few times during filming, and one time he said, ‘Debbie, I’m sending you a big hug right now,’” Gwaltney recalled. “I was like, ‘I’m sending you one right back.’ That virtual hug was great! I’ve got to wait three years before I can go back on the show, but I can’t wait to fly down to California and get a real hug.”
Truth be told, she already has had a real hug from Brady when she was on the show in 2016.
In that appearance, she walked away with $1,500, electing to take the money over what was in the box, only to find out it was an all-expenses-paid trip to the Dominican Republic.
“I took the cash, but I knew it was going to be a trip — I just felt it,” Gwaltney said. “We were on the beginning of a trip, and I thought, ‘You know, that much money could be great on this trip.’ But I knew it was going to be a trip.”
This time there will be no need for travel expenses hanging over her head, thanks to our old friend Coronavirus.
But she said being on the game show via Zoom didn’t take much away from the experience.
“There was still the thrill,” Gwaltney said. “In person with everyone there is so much fun, but being part of it all virtually was great, too. My son was upstairs, and he came down and said, ‘You’re being so loud.’ That’s because I was having so much fun. ... If I couldn’t be there in person, it was the second-best thing. It was a blast — a thrill of my life.”
That thrill got even greater.
After the show aired Tuesday, Gwaltney shared with The Herald that she won a $6,200 entertainment package, including a 75-inch TV. At the end of the show, she was select to go for the “Big Deal,” where she selected Door No. 1 and won a $25,000 Jeep Renegade.
This story was originally published February 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
