10 Tragic Game Show Moments

WatchMojo

When game shows go wrong... Join us as we explore the most heartbreaking moments in television quiz history!

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at some of the most heartbreaking and emotionally

00:08devastating moments occurring on game shows.

00:18RAV WILDING'S NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE – SPLASH

00:29In 2013, while training for the now-defunct British show Splash, television presenter

00:33Rav Wilding's life took a devastating turn.

00:36Like other celebrities learning to dive in the ITV show, Wilding was attempting a somersault

00:41dive when his left hamstring tendon snapped, necessitating immediate medical intervention.

00:45Although he underwent surgery, his ordeal was far from over.

00:49Soon after, further complications arose, and Wilding was hospitalized again after experiencing

00:53chest pain, where a blood clot was found in his lungs.

00:56The consequences that followed were quite brutal.

00:59Wilding had to cancel his upcoming wedding, sell his house, and according to his lawyers,

01:02was left with limited mobility and one leg shorter than the other.

01:05It shows how a single moment can completely change someone's life.

01:16THE BLEIFNICK FAMILY MURDER – FAMILY FEUD

01:28What started as a flippant response on a family game show turned out to be a chilling clue

01:32to a darker truth.

01:33In 2020, Timothy Bleifnick appeared on Family Feud with members of his family.

01:38When asked about his greatest wedding mistake, Timothy joked that he regretted marrying his

01:41wife Becky, a remark that was met with gasps and laughter from the audience.

01:48However, this infamous remark was far from funny when Timothy's estranged wife was

01:56found dead in her home a few years later, and he became the prime suspect.

02:00After denying any involvement, evidence emerged pointing to his guilt.

02:03Allegedly, Timothy had killed Becky in a jealous rage, leading to his conviction for her murder.

02:17THE JUMP CONTESTANT'S INJURIES – THE JUMP

02:29Placing celebrities with little Olympic-level experience in high-stakes winter sports was

02:33a recipe for disaster, and Channel 4's The Jump proved just that.

02:37Throughout its run, this show had its fair share of injuries, but the 2016 series saw

02:41the highest number of wounded participants and contestant withdrawals, sparking major

02:46controversy and ultimately leading to its cancellation in 2017.

02:58From Rebecca Adlington's dislocated shoulder and Tina Hobley's broken arm to Mark Francis

03:03Vandelli's ankle injury and Ola Jordan's serious ligament damage, the toll on participants

03:08was staggering, not to forget Beth Tweddle's spinal cord injury from a training jump, which

03:13kept her in recovery for years.

03:15For a show meant to be fun, The Jump sure offered more risks than rewards.

03:26ALAN SMITH'S PASSING – BEAT SHAZAM

03:33The interactive game hosted by Jamie Foxx isn't one you'd expect to make you ball,

03:37but a 2019 episode delivered an emotional blow when what should have been a moment of

03:41victory became a poignant tribute.

03:43Alan Smith of a group called the Sensational Soul Cruisers had passed away two weeks before

03:47the Monday night episode aired.

03:56During their appearance on the show, Smith and his partner wowed viewers with their talent,

04:00eventually winning the $260,000, but the show took on a bittersweet tone when viewers learned

04:05of Smith's sudden death, prompting many to take to social media to mourn him.

04:09Ironically, their winning song was How to Save a Life, which makes it sadder, with a

04:13tragic end to a beautiful performance.

04:19THE DEATH OF MICHAEL LUSH – THE LATE LATE BREAKFAST SHOW

04:30This popular 80s British show was all about fun and thrills, featuring everything from

04:34musical performances to acrobatics, juggling and magic.

04:37But one segment, Give It a Whirl, took things to terrifying heights.

04:40Imagine being fired from a cannon or riding a bicycle through a giant roulette wheel.

04:45It was risky and injuries were inevitable.

04:56Sadly, tragedy struck one day in 1986 when 24-year-old Michael Lush died during his first

05:01rehearsal for a live stunt.

05:03His daring feat?

05:04A bungee jump from a box 120 feet in the air, set to explode afterward.

05:09Following an investigation, the production was slammed for negligence and the show ended

05:13there, forever marked by this horror.

05:23ALEX TREBECK'S FINAL EPISODE – JEOPARDY!

05:36For 37 seasons, Canadian-American game show host Alex Trebeck brought laughter and joy

05:40to viewers as the face of Jeopardy!

05:42Some of us who grew up watching this quiz show will remember Trebeck for his witty,

05:46charming and warm personality.

05:48He was one of TV's iconic figures, even going as far as setting a Guinness World Record

05:52for his time on Jeopardy!

05:53But in 2020, fans' hearts shattered when news of his passing was shared via Twitter.

06:05Just 10 days before his death, Trebeck had taped his final episode, which featured a

06:08touching montage of his time on the show.

06:11This episode carries an emotional weight, especially knowing it was his last.

06:14There may never be another TV host this beloved.

06:32ABC STRIKES TWICE – WIPEOUT

06:42ABC's high-energy game show was all about contestants jumping over massive, watery obstacles

06:47for a shot at a grand prize.

06:48It should be fun, but how could it be when people have lost their lives while participating

06:52in this show?

06:53In 2009, after finishing the first section of this challenging game, 33-year-old Tom

06:58Sparks suffered a stroke, apparently related to a pre-existing condition.

07:02He underwent surgeries, only to die two weeks later.

07:05Despite this tragic incident, the show continued and was eventually rebooted on CBS.

07:09In 2020, tragedy struck yet again when another contestant, Michael Paredes, suffered a cardiac

07:15arrest after completing the obstacle course and died afterwards.

07:18Clearly, this raises questions about needing to prioritize safety over excitement in such

07:23shows.

07:24NASUBI'S TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE – SUSUNU DENPA SHONEN

07:33What does real-life hell look like?

07:41It's certainly not far from this.

07:42In 1998, Fukushima-born comedian Moaki Hamatsu, known as Nasubi, won a lottery that plunged

07:48him into Japan's most dehumanizing reality show.

07:51Nasubi was placed in a tiny room with no outside communication and forced to survive

07:55solely on magazine sweepstakes winnings.

07:58However, this wasn't the worst of it.

08:12He also had to live naked, totally unaware that his misery was being watched by millions,

08:17as his ordeal evolved and stretched out.

08:19For over a year, Nasubi endured tremendous mental and physical strain, only to emerge

08:23a national sensation much to his surprise.

08:26It's the height of cruelty and a disturbing reminder of how far some shows will go for

08:30fame.

08:31ZAMWIEL KACZ'S INCIDENT – WETTEN DAS

08:50Germany's immensely popular show, Wetten Das, has celebrities betting on whether contestants

08:54can pull off wild stunts.

08:56In 2010, ZAMWIEL KACZ dared to take on this challenge, and it changed his life for the

09:00worse.

09:01This stunt required Kacz to jump over five moving cars using spring-loaded boots within

09:05a given time.

09:06He nailed the first three, but disaster struck when he couldn't clear the fourth car, driven

09:10by his own father.

09:11This impact was brutal as it sent him crashing to the studio floor, and for the first time

09:15in decades, the show was shut down mid-broadcast.

09:18Even more devastating, after surgery, Kacz faced the heartbreaking reality of being paralyzed

09:23from neck down.

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09:41The Wawawe Stampede, Wawawe In 2006, around 73 people died during the anniversary

09:57celebration of one of the Philippines' popular game shows.

10:00About 30,000 people had flocked to the PhilSports Stadium for a special anniversary edition

10:04of the Wawawe game where lucky contestants could win free money and even houses.

10:09This was a staggering jump from the 5,000 attendees from previous recordings, leading

10:13to a trampling disaster as people pushed to get in.

10:16Reports of a bomb scare may have further triggered this chaos.

10:19In the aftermath, the show was temporarily cancelled and the show organizers were indicted,

10:23except for the host.

10:24Though it happened years ago, this man-made disaster still highlights the danger of huge

10:29masses in situations and areas with inadequate safety precautions.

10:33What is the most gruesome or heartbreaking thing you've ever seen in a game show?

10:37Let us know in the comments section!

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