The Price Is Right was disrupted on Thursday, May 8, when news broke that the Vatican selected a new pope. The game show cut out in the middle of an episode when white smoke blew out of the Sistine Chapel in Italy, where the cardinals voted on the pontiff.
The first American Pope, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, took the name Pope Leo XIV, as he was elected the 267th pontiff of the Catholic Church. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he studied mathematics. He also did missionary work in Peru for a few years.
After the telecast was interrupted by the white smoke, the coverage continued as Pope Leo XIV walked out onto the balcony and gave a speech. Fans never got to see the rest of the episode. However, if they have a Paramount+ subscription, the episode was uploaded there on Friday, May 9.
There are only two other instances in recent history where a pontiff was elected after only two days of voting. The first was for Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and the second was for Pope Francis in 2013, whom Leo succeeded. Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.
“There went the show,” a Reddit user posted. “Papal conclave. Seriously?”
The reactions that followed were hilarious.
“What I love about this sub is that no world event is ever big enough to justify the preemption of The Price is Right,” one fan said.
“‘Aliens have begun their invasion’… ‘DONT CARE’,” a fan joked, replying to the previous commenter.
“Leo XIV, come on dooowwwnnn!” wrote another.
“You’re the next contestant on the Pious is Righteous!” a Reddit user replied to them.
