Oceanside CA— Oceanside resident Rick Espinoza will be a contestant on GSN’s new social-experiment/game show, DIVIDED, airing tonight at 9:30pm on Game Show Network(GSN). Rick is playing for a piece of the $85,000 potential jackpot.
Hosted by Mike Richards (Executive Producer of ‘The Price Is Right’ and ‘Let’s Make A Deal’), each half-hour episode of DIVIDED features four contestants who must come to a consensus on the answers to each of the questions they are given, while a ticking clock reduces their potential bounty for every moment they spend debating.
“It was an awesome experience,” said Rick. ‘DIVIDED’ is new to the U.S. adapted from the British game show of the same name. “Someone posted, independently, on a casting website and I just responded to it,” explained Rick about how he discovered the new show. “Since the show is new, they sent me a little clip of the United Kingdom version of the show so they could make sure I was comfortable with it, then I went up to Studio city for the audition.”

Divided on GSN from OsideNews on Vimeo.
In DIVIDED, more money is available to win in each successive round, the intensity escalates – from collectively voting a teammate off, to the final twist, when the remaining prize money is divided into three drastically UNEQUAL parts and the contestants must agree on who should receive which share – or risk losing everything if the clock runs out. The more the players argue, disagree or dig in their heels, the less money becomes available to them.
Even though Rick has some time in front of the cameras, he’s been an extra in TNT’s Animal Kingdom among other things, he was still nervous. “The game show experience is a totally different experience. You’re in a team environment but you’re really out for yourself. You want to take home the big bucks,” said Rick.
“Before the taping, they brought all of us into a room and kind of mimicked the show. They brought each of us up individually and the producers were the ones that mixed and matched the teams. You didn’t know who you were going to be teamed up with.” said Rick.
The taping was only about 45-50 minutes long but before the show, all of the contestants were sequestered. “We weren’t allowed to talk to any of the other contestants. We didn’t know who we were going up against until it came to showtime. They didn’t want anything being tainted by having the contestants commingle.” continued Rick, “They treated us very well. Everyone was so nice. They had magazines, snacks and brought us sandwiches as well. It was pretty interesting.”
Rick will be hosting a viewing party tonight. “I’m going to have a bunch of people over, that’s for sure but I am very nervous about it. Even though I have some background acting experience, it’s nothing like this where you’re up close and featured. I’m not sure how I’m going to look on camera.” Rick said, “The whole thing was a wonderful, beautiful experience.”