‘The Floor’ Contestants Reveal What Happens When the Cameras Stop Rolling

Lorraine O’Sullivan / Fox

Have you ever wondered if the contestants on The Floor have to stand all day or how many episodes they film in a day? Well, now there are answers. Contestants from the past three seasons answered fans’ burning questions on Reddit.

The Floor is a game show, hosted by Rob Lowe, where 100 people are experts in a certain category. They face off against other people until there is only one person left who has conquered every piece of the floor. They win $250,000 at the end.

A Reddit user wondered if there are any breaks so contestants don’t have to stand for a long time: “Just curious. How long do you have to stand there on The Floor without breaks in the action? I know I wouldn’t be able to do it for long periods of time with my bad knees and back. Heck, I wouldn’t be able to do it even when I was younger. I noticed a lot of the contestants wear sneakers (smart move) but yet I’ve seen platforms, heels, spike heels (I think). More power to you. Whatever is comfortable for them I guess.”

A contestant named Alex answered the question right away for the curious fan with, “Definitely we were encouraged to wear comfy shoes, which is why you see the female contestants in beautiful dresses and then like New Balance. When the cameras were down you could sit on the floor if you wanted. I never did because I was scared I’d get too comfy. There is also one mid-episode bathroom/water break usually around the 4th duel, so there’s that time as well. And then like 90 or so minutes between episodes. So yes, long, but they made sure we were as comfy as possible given all the standing.”

Another fan asked how many episodes are filmed per day and if they make them bring another outfit with them in case something gets spilled on it. The contestants wear the same outfits in every episode.

A different contestant shared that two to three episodes are filmed in a day, adding, “We brought two of the exact same outfits to alternate. On day two, your day one outfit is getting cleaned and pressed.”

Alex added, “Also, no food spilling allowed – we literally had to wear plastic ponchos when we ate!”

One fan wanted to know what the contestants could use to study the categories around them during their breaks.

“We had full access to our phones, laptops (I only brought a phone), flashcards, you name it. And the green room had wifi. Just nothing on the set itself, so the mid-episode bathroom breaks there weren’t study opportunities, but once we were back in the green room, you could use whatever,” Alex answered.

“Are you encouraged to have a little floor talk right before a duel starts? The camera always cuts to people speculating right before the 3-2-1 countdown,” one last fan wanted to know.

Another contestant replied that they were “encouraged to be themselves,” which included talking about strategy. But they reminded the fan that the show is edited so it looks like they are talking right up until the duel happens. “But in my experience, people were doing most of the chatting before that, and once the duel happened, we were pretty focused on mostly watching the players,” the person wrote.

The Floor, Wednesdays, 9/8c, Fox