Legendary game show host Bob Barker passes away at the age of 99
Bob Barker, the beloved host of The Price is Right, is no more. Barker died of natural causes in his home at the age of 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.
“I am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker, and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally," Bob's long-time friend Nancy Burnet said in a statement on Saturday. "We were great friends over these 40 yrs. He will be missed.”
Barker hosted the famous game show The Price Is Right for 35 years. He hosted the famous CBS show from 1972 to 2007 before retiring, making it one of the longest-running daytime game shows of North America.
Barker hosted Truth or Consequences for almost two decades, from 1956 to 1975.
In his decades-long career, Barker earned 19 Emmy Awards. He won multiple Emmys for Outstanding Game Show Host for The Price Is Right. He won four Emmys as an executive producer.
He was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Daytime Television in 1999.
Born on December 12, 1923, in Darrington, Washington, Barker worked in the Navy during World War II. His broadcasting career began when he moved to California. His breakthrough came in the 1950s when he got his first radio show, titled The Bob Barker Show, which ran for six years.
In his career, he also hosted the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants.
Bob was an animal rights activist and has supported various groups working for the welfare of animals. Barker used to end the episode of The Price Is Right with the message - ''Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."
Even he took a step back from hosting the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants as a protest against gifting fur coats to the winners.
''For me to go on the show now would make me appear a complete hypocrite,'' Barker said back then. ''I received hundreds of letters of support from people who placed their faith in me, people who are also opposed to the animal cruelty involved in producing fur coats.''
Barker's wife, Dorothy, died of cancer in 1981. He didn't remarry after his wife died. He is survived by his half-brother Kent Valandra, half-niece, Vickie Valandra Kelly, and half-nephews Robert Valandra and Chip Valandra.
