Long-time legendary host of The Price is Right, Bob Barker has died at the age of 99.
The beloved game show host and animal-rights activist died Saturday morning, August 26, of natural causes according to TMZ. A representative for Barker said he passed away in his home in Los Angeles naturally. Roger Neal, his publicist, released a statement announcing his passing, per NBC News, he said:
It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker has left us.
Bob Barker was the winner of 19 Daytime Emmys, and he received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Television Academy in 1999. The Price is Right's longtime host and his illustrious career were also honored when he was inducted into the Television Academy's Hall of Fame in 2004.
Bob Barker lived a long and wonderful life as he hosted multiple game shows and worked as an animal rights activist.
In 1956 he got his breakout TV gig as the host of Truth or Consequences on NBC, and he went on to be the face of the show until 1975. For three of those years he was also hosting The Price is Right, because he was hired to host the beloved gameshow for CBS in 1972. I think anyone who has watched Bob Barker host The Price is Right will always remember his sunny demeanor and his saying “Come on down” as he welcomed the excited contestants to the stage.
Bob Barker retired from The Price is Right in 2007 after hosting 6,586 episodes over 35 years, per Today. Drew Carey took over for him, and the longtime host encouraged him to make the gameshow his own. Looking back on over three decades as host, Barker explained that he loved hosting because of all the love on that set.
The Price is Right celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, and there’s no question Bob Barker made a major impact on the gameshow and those who competed in it and tuned in.
Along with his work as a TV personality, Barker was also a passionate animal rights activist. When his wife Dorothy Jo Gideon passed away in 1981 he turned to activism. He founded the DJ&T Foundation, which helped pay for pets to get spayed and neutered. He also donated $2.5 million to People for Ethical Treatment of Animals to build the PETA building in LA, which was named the Bob Barker Building. Staring in the early ‘80s, at the end of every episode of The Price is Right, Barker also said:
Help control the animal population, have your pet spayed or neutered.
While we know Barker best for his time as the host of The Price is Right, he also had a fun career in film and television. He hosted the Miss. Universe and Miss. America pageants for 20 years and he was the longtime host of the New Year’s Day Tournament of Roses Parade. Notably, he also played himself in Happy Gilmore, where he got to fight Adam Sandler. He also played Barney Stinson’s dad in How I Met You Mother, and he had cameos in other shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, Futurama and more.
As we honor Bob Barker, there is no question that his legacy will be remembered forever.
We here at CinemaBlend send Bob Barker's family and loved ones our thoughts and condolences.
