“I actually had lunch with an AP reporter today, we had a big, long lunch,” Carey said. “I couldn’t tell him anything because we were negotiating the deal. And they approached me right after the pilot for ‘Power of 10,’ and they called me, I said, ‘No.’ Then they called me a month later, they said, ‘What if we really’ — they called my agent: ‘What if we really go after Drew.’ This is like a month later after I did the pilot for ‘Power of 10’ and I said, ‘Well, what does that mean?’ and he said, ‘Well, you know, I mean, maybe this kind of money.’ I go, ‘What kind of schedule?’ He said, ‘I don’t know,’ so I met with them and stuff and we’ve been negotiating ever since.  Couldn’t say anything, but during your ‘Harry Potter’ bit — honestly it was like 15 minutes ago — they called me. It’s a done deal.  I’m the new host of ‘The Price Is Right.’”

With the audience wildly applauding, Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra played the theme to “The Price Is Right” in honor of Carey’s announcement.

Letterman offered Carey his congratulations.  Carey said that he’s not sure when he’s going to start working on “The Price Is Right,” but did say that already “my girlfriend was on the phone with a personal shopper from Bergdorf’s.”

“Well, history says that this will be a nice long career for you as the host of ‘The Price is Right,’” Letterman commented.  Carey said, “It’s fun doing a show for years and years, isn’t it?” and Letterman concurred.