Game Show Contestants Reveal Secrets Behind How The Show Works

Daytime television is comforting and nostalgic from days of faking sick and staying home from school as a kid. There is something fascinating about watching seemingly regular contestants play bizarre little games for a chance to win a life-changing amount of money. And between seeing Judge Judy financially kick someone’s ass or Jerry Springer reveal who the father is and seeing a fistfight, it’s all priceless, high-brow television.

It turns out the reality of game shows is they aren’t that real at all. People who were contestants or employees on shows are sharing the backstage secrets of how the TV illusions happen in a viral Reddit thread. Spoiler alert: this may kill a bit of the childhood magic.