Fans of The Price is Right and those associated with the show are still mourning the great Bob Barker. The beloved longtime host of the CBS series died in August at age 99 after battling Alzheimer’s disease. A number of stars were quick to pay tribute to the late TV icon, including his Happy Gilmore co-star Adam Sandler and media personality Tom Bergeron. The show's current host, Drew Carey, was among those to honor his predecessor, and the series also aired a special tribute episode in Barker's honor. Now, Carey is opening up about what he learned from the TV staple and explaining just why "he was so good" at his job.
Bob Barker hosted The Price is Right from 1972 until his retirement in 2007 and also headlined Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975. Even after he left the former program, he appeared in a few more episodes, including a special April Fool’s Day episode, in which he swapped places with Drew Carey. Following Barker's death, ET caught up with Carey on the set of the long-running show. While discussing his mentor's work, Carey discussed a key factor that made Barker so successful:
He was so good at this. He was so good at relating to people and getting them to be relaxed and be themselves. You watch his demeanor and his attitude. He never seemed stressed.
Anyone who has ever seen the game show likely. knows it's far from relaxing. Contestants have even hurt themselves, even falling flat on their faces while on the show. However, amid all the chaos, Bob Barker always seemed calm and collected. One would imagine that contestants appreciated his easy-going nature during those tapings. With that, Drew Carey went on to say that he's been trying to channel some of those same serene vibes:
I've learned to relax while I'm onstage and not be so uptight about what's going on. I just have to own the show and make it like my living room because he was so comfortable in front of a camera.
Drew Carey has been hosting The Price is Right for a while now and has done a good job. It's evident that he's taken cues from his hero, but Carey has also been developing his own unique approach to the game. All the while, he still received guidance, as Bob Barker apparently gave him sage advice. The notion of having to pick up and carry the torch for a star like Bob Barker is daunting, but Carey is doing it well, even if he still thinks he needs to loosen up more.
Bob Barker is easily one of the best game show hosts ever, and his legacy will live on in a myriad of ways. Aside from his contributions to TV, he reportedly left his fortune to a host of charities. That's not too surprising, since he notably became a philanthropist in his later years. It's honestly still a bit weird knowing that Barker is no longer around. Drew Carey and more will surely miss his relaxed, on-camera demeanor as well as his vivacious desire for change as a social activist in his personal life.
Still a mainstay on daytime TV, new episodes of The Price is Right can be viewed in syndication amid the sea of content that makes up the 2023 TV schedule.
