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