Bob Barker, the longtime host of the Price is Right died on Saturday, he was 99.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker, has left us,” Barker’s publicist, Roger Neal, said in a statement, adding that he died of natural causes in his Hollywood Hills home.
The Price is Right became America’s longest-running game show in the 1990s, a legacy that continues today with host Drew Carey. Barker became an American television staple after he took over the hosting role for the show in 1972. Barker remained in that role until 2007, becoming the longest-running game show host in the process, a record that stood until Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak broke it in 2019.
A favorite of kids staying home sick from school everywhere, the show has often been called one of the last islands of “wholesome” television still available.
Born in 1923, Barker grew up on an Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where his mother worked as a teacher. His father died years earlier after an accident working as a power line foreman. He is survived by his half-brother, Kent Valandra, and long-time friend and fellow animal rights activist Nancy Burnet, who is serving as the executor of his estate; she had been caring for him in his later years.
Barker left college to serve in the Navy during World War II, but the war ended while he was awaiting his first combat assignment. Barker returned to college and received a degree in economics.
After college, Barker worked as a radio host before landing a job as the host of another game show, Truth or Consequences. He held that job for 18 years, already a long time for a game show host, but a short stint compared to his tenure at Price.
His tenure at Price was also marked with extraordinary consistency. It has often been said that when he stopped dying his hair, it was the biggest change in decades for the show. Barker was also known for his animal rights advocacy, signing off every episode reminding his viewers to “help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.”
In a statement about his death, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk listed Barker’s other contributions to the animal rights movement.
“He joined PETA in urging families to stay away from SeaWorld, demanded the closure of cruel bear pits masquerading as tourist attractions, implored Hollywood to take action to protect animals used in film and TV, and, as a Navy veteran, called for the end of military medical drills on live animals. His generous donation allowed PETA to open its West Coast headquarters, the Bob Barker Building, in 2012, and it stands as a testament to his legacy and profound commitment to making the world a kinder place.”
Barker also resigned as the host of the Miss America and Miss Universe pageants after a dispute with producers over the use of fur coats.
The lone black mark on Barker’s career was when he was sued by Dian Parkinson, a former presenter and model on Price referred to as one of “Barker’s Beauties” sued Barker for alleged sexual harassment.
Barker would admit that the two had an affair but insisted it was consensual, the lawsuit was eventually dropped.
“Bob Barker was a television legend who was very committed to the Hollywood community as well as being a huge proponent of animal welfare,” said Walk of Fame producer Ana Martinez while inviting fans to leave flowers on his star. “He will be missed.”
Barker also dabbled in Hollywood, occasionally playing himself in cameo appearances, most famously in 1994’s Happy Gilmore. His role there became iconic after Barker and Adam Sandler’s character shared the screen for over four minutes, culminating in a fight scene with the then 70-year-old Barker coming out on top.
But Barker will forever be best known for his role on Price. “Very sad day for the Price Is Right family, and animal lovers all over the world,” current Price host Drew Carey said in an X post. “There hasn’t been a day on set that I didn’t think of Bob Barker and thank him. I will carry his memory in my heart forever.”