Model Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith lands new role
For 12 years, model Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith entertained millions on ‘The Price Is Right,’ but she has taken on a new role as COO of the production company Smith Entertainment Group.
After 12 years entertaining millions on “The Price is Right,” Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith gave her final walk in October 2017 as she prepared to dive into the next chapter of her career.
Today, the 39-year-old British model has taken on a new role — that of COO at Smith Entertainment Group [SEG], a production company she runs alongside her husband and Emmy Award-winning broadcaster/former NBA player, Kenny Smith.
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Fox News spoke with Osborne-Smith on why she fought hard on “The Price is Right,” what she really thought about Drew Carey and her most outrageous memory from the show.
Fox News: How did you end up on “The Price is Right?”
Gwendolyn Osborne-Smith: I was actually working as an actress in “The Bold and The Beautiful.” It was an under-five liner so I was a talking model, you can say. It just so happened that there was a beach scene so I wasn’t wearing very much. And "The Price is Right" stage is right next door to "The Bold and The Beautiful." They actually share a bathroom. Apparently, I was spotted working and the rest is history!
Fox News: It’s been said you fought hard to get a mic on the show to be heard.
Osborne-Smith: Yes, when they had the change from Bob Barker to Drew Carey, we got a new producer and he was all for revamping everything. We had a meeting about letting us be heard. I was very much determined to have that and I was happy it was received.
And from there on out, there was some bumps in the road because some people talk a little too much *laughs* some people were told “not to talk too much” so we had to find a happy medium with that. And I’m really talking about myself. But at the end of the day... I’m a go-getter and I’m always trying to set the standard.
Fox News: Why did your role not have a mic?
Osborne-Smith: I can’t answer for them. I can say they were just looking at them like models who were objectified. They weren’t looked [at] like personalities. But when Drew Carey stepped in, he was so very happy to make changes and bring "Price is Right" into a new era. We were all ready to become personalities rather than just look like models.
Fox News: You also appeared pregnant on “The Price is Right.” How was that?
Osborne-Smith: It was terrifying at first because I didn’t know how Drew Carey was going to react to my news. And being a woman in this industry, especially as a model where you’re recognized for your body and face — it was really scary. I thought I was going to have to pick between my personal life and my career. I said to him, "I have to let you know right now before we move forward because if you don’t want me here we have to talk about it because I am pregnant. I hope you will be supportive of that."
He was over the moon. And I was, of course, so relieved and elated. He was very happy to have the opportunity, through me, to prove the type of man he was and how different he was than Bob Barker’s era. He celebrates women and uplifts them. He thinks it’s magic and incredible women have babies. That we actually bring human life to this earth. He supported me throughout the whole time.
Fox News: How do you feel about Drew Carey today?
Osborne-Smith: I will always be grateful to Drew. Before I was married, I was a single mother with a daughter and he held a high respect for me because of that. I was working with such a respectable man. I’ve never had any concerns of sexual harassment with him. It was actually the opposite. I was embraced and empowered by working with him.
Fox News: After 12 years, you left “The Price is Right” in October 2017. Why?
Osborne-Smith: I’ve been grappling with it for a while. "Price is Right" was a great opportunity for me. Especially when I started because I was a single mother in the entertainment industry, but I also had a great schedule.
But I really wanted to get back to who I am, which is being on the stage in front of the camera acting and singing. My husband and I created a production company call SEG. Over the years it kept growing and it eventually became a full-time job. I wasn’t able to do both and still be a mother to the five children we have and a wife. So I had to cut something.
Fox News: How did Drew respond?
Osborne-Smith: He was very teary-eyed. But he was happy for me. He and I are good friends and he knows the journey I’ve been on behind the scenes in terms of production and creating. He’s always been very supportive. It was bittersweet.
Fox News: How do game shows depict models today?
Osborne-Smith: I will say it seemed negative to me, to be honest, at first. I felt like I had to create a character in a lot sketch comedy in order to get up on that stage and perform. And that’s what I did. When we became actual personalities, it actually really gave me a whole different outlook. I wasn’t able to be a character anymore. I had to be who I was in the moment, especially with Drew Carey.
I felt like it was a challenge for me, but I am grateful for it. I was able to grow and gain more opportunities not just for myself, but for the other models that were around... If there’s anything I can do to make a change, then I’m going to do it. And that’s what I did.
Fox News: What is one memory from “The Price is Right” you will never forget?
Osborne-Smith: When George [Gray] fell down, that was funny, but it was so scary.... He just went flying! I thought we were going to stop taping, but we kept going… I was in shock and, thankfully, he was OK. And then it went viral.
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