The Latest on "The Price Is Right" Host Search

The New York City tabloids are in disagreement this week about who has the inside shot at replacing Bob Barker on “The Price Is Right”…

The “New York Post” reported that six candidates have participated in actual run-throughs with live studio audiences: Mark Steines, Todd Newton, George Hamilton, Mario Lopez, Dave Price and John O’Hurley. “Post” sources report that the frontrunners are Steines, the co-anchor of “Entertainment Tonight” and Newton, who is currently hosting a live version of “Price” in Las Vegas (and who, as you see in the picture, hosted the Powerball “Instant Millionaire” show). These same sources told the “Post” that George Hamilton is no longer in the running.

According to the report, only “serious candidates” have done actual videotaped run-throughs and Drew Carey and Ian Ziering have not auditioned.

However, the “New York Daily News” reported that Ziering has received a call-back from the “Price” producers and that “he really, really wants it.”

Meanwhile, Rosie O’Donnell revealed during her recent R Family Vacations cruise that she didn’t turn “Price” down. They turned her down. “They thought I was too controversial to host the game show.”

Rosie also said she wanted to “gay it up” (her words) with a chorus line of Broadway hunks (instead of “Barker’s beauties”), confetti, musical bumpers and a set redesign. Rosie admitted she was disappointed by the network’s decision…