Drew Carey is catching heat from The Price Is Right fans for a string of recent controversies – and an insider exclusively confirms for Closer the golden boy of game show T.V. is dealing with mounting pressure behind the scenes as bosses watch him like a hawk.

“Bosses have every faith in Drew, he’s like royalty on that show and the game show circuit in general, but no one is above scrutiny – not even him,” the insider says. “These fans are speaking up and voicing a lot of annoyance over some of his delivery and holding him responsible for other inconsistencies, like that $11,000 hot tub prize that looked like a cheap Walmart version.”

Drew, 66, who took over the hosting gig of the iconic show from veteran presenter Bob Barker in 2007 following a 35-year run, is once again facing fan backlash similar to when he first assumed the reins. In a particularly strange event that happened on an episode that aired on November 25, 2024, the eponymous The Drew Carey Show star offered contestant Brian “an $11,000 hot tub” as a potential prize.

Brian ultimately won the hot tub, prompting the host to tell him, “Go get it! Go get your hot tub!” While the contestant seemed overjoyed to fling himself into the empty jacuzzi, once the clip hit the internet many social media users weren’t too keen on the price tag and questioned what in the world the showrunners were up to by claiming it was worth $11,000 – and even aimed some of their criticism at host Drew.

Drew Carey ‘Getting Hassled’ By ‘The Price Is Right’ Fans (EXCLUSIVE)

“That’s not 11k hot tub,” read the top comment.

“The Price is Wrong!” another user wrote.

“$11,000 hot tub … that hot tub is $399 at Walmart he meant pesos,” another joked.

While it’s unclear how much input Drew has over details like that in the game, if any, other fans have been quick to point out he isn’t always clear when explaining the rules of his game show – which is a valid criticism considering that’s pretty much the whole job.

Contestant Sophie, competing on an episode that aired on December 12, 2024, stepped up to play the “Do the Math” game, a mini-game within the larger, main show, during which the player must guess the dollar amount difference between two products. Seems simple enough, but the way it’s played complicates matters – the contestant must add or subtract a value on the board to bring the two prices to an equilibrium – which struck some viewers as unnecessarily byzantine for a relatively straightforward idea.

To make matters worse, Drew also found it kind of confusing and flubbed his explanation, leading Sophie to admit afterwards she didn’t really understand what she was supposed to do, despite winning the mini-game.

“He’s getting hassled for over-valued prizes and confusing explanations, and he doesn’t like it,” the source continues.

“The people who watch the show are keeping an eye on it and Drew may not be aware how much they’re watching him, but it keeps him on his toes, even if it does stress him out to be questioned.”