Bob Barker is a former game show presenter who is most well-known for his time spent presenting “The Price Is Right” on television. Barker became the host of the show in 1972, the same year it was initially broadcast, and he continued in that role until his retirement in 2007. The role was afterwards taken up by actor and comedian Drew Carey. Because he was the host of the series for the greatest amount of time, Barker will leave behind a legacy that will live on in infamy because the program he hosted is still the longest-running daytime game show in the annals of North American television history.
Barker entered this world on December 12th, 1923 in the town of Darrington, Washington. He had a humble upbringing but discovered early on that he had a passion for entertainment. While he was attending college, he worked in radio on the side. Barker took a leap of faith in 1950 and relocated to California to actively pursue a career in broadcasting. He was eventually granted his own radio program after establishing himself in the industry. After becoming the presenter of “Truth or Consequences” in 1956, Bob Barker remained in that role until 1975.
During this time period, he was also the host of the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants. In addition, Barker kicked his his lengthy tenure on “The Price Is Right.” The successful guy also made it a point to utilize his position for the benefit of others and to contribute to the common good. After the passing of his wife Dorothy Jo Gideon in 1981, he made a solemn vow to devote his life to the cause of animal rights and has since established himself as a prominent activist in this field.
Barker’s career has been marred by a number of issues, and he has also had a few health concerns. Despite this, he is known as a legend in the field of television, and at the age of 99, he is now living out the rest of his life enjoying retirement. Continue reading to learn more about Barker’s career and to get a glimpse inside his life as it is now.
Barker’s professional life has been marked by a number of highs and lows at various points in time. Even though he was well-liked for his role as the host of “The Price Is Right,” there were problems with him off camera. According to TIME, the game show’s producers and Barker have been the target of a large number of viewers’ complaints throughout the course of its history. According to a significant number of the complaints, the program allegedly fostered an atmosphere in which the models were treated “like second-class people.”
Barker was the subject of many pending legal actions, one of which was a high-profile case brought by model Dian Parkinson. She filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Barker and “The Price Is Right” in 1994, seeking $8 million in damages, according to TIME. The case was eventually dropped when Barker refuted her allegations but acknowledged to having a romantic involvement with the woman.
Over the years, Barker was also the victim of a few health scares. WRAL reports that he had a stroke and had surgery to remove his prostate in the year 2002. Barker was taken to the hospital in October 2015 after he fell and banged the side of his head on a pavement.
Barker also had an unbelievable tragedy in 1981, when his wife of 36 years passed away as a result of lung cancer. According to Closer Weekly, Barker and Gideon originally met in the middle of the 1930s at an Ella Fitzgerald performance, and they quickly fell in love after that. In 1945, when Barker was serving as a fighter pilot in the Navy, the couple secretly wed and eloped. They did not have any children together.
Barker also said that he “never got over” the loss of Gideon and that he did not marry again after Gideon’s passing. In spite of this, her heart remained with Barker as he embarked on a career as an animal rights activist. This was something that was significant to him because of his late wife.
According to Closer Weekly, Gideon was a former animal rights activist who served as an inspiration for Barker to spread her message. “She was years ahead of her time,” Barker said of her. “She was in every way.” He told her that he “gradually did the same thing with her,” which meant that he quit wearing fur and became a vegetarian before either of those things became mainstream.
Barker has spent the better part of four decades working in the entertainment business, and it is clear that he has endured a great deal during that time. According to PEOPLE, the fact that “The Price Is Right” can still be shown on television gives Bob Barker a warm and fuzzy feeling of nostalgia. Barker said, “I’m frequently asked what it is about my years working on ‘Price’ that I like the most, and the first thing that comes to me is… the money, of course.”
He went on to say, “Joke aside, there was a lot to fall in love with.” During those 35 wonderful years, I had the privilege of working with a committed and talented cast and crew. I have a special place in my heart for the opportunity that our enormous fame provided me with to regularly remind our whole audience of the significance of spaying and neutering their dogs.
In spite of the fact that he is now enjoying retirement, Barker continues to make use of his platform to convey critical lessons about compassion for both people and animals. In 1979, Barker started signing off each episode of the game show with a statement encouraging listeners to “help manage the pet population,” as reported by PEOPLE. According to USA Today, in 2013, Barker made a recording for PETA in which he encouraged people to adopt a vegetarian diet, which is a way of eating that he has practiced for more than three decades.
Barker made the decision to leave television after a career spanning half a century. Barker is still getting honored for his achievements along the road despite the fact that he is 99 years old.
On December 12, 2022, Barker commemorated the occasion of his 99th birthday. His longtime companion of over 40 years, Nancy Burnet, gave an interview to Fox 5 in the days leading up to the momentous event.
She went into detail about how Barker’s treatment for his thyroid requires him to take just one prescription drug. It would suggest that his health is doing well, which is very impressive given his age. According to Burnet, “He does not take anything for blood pressure, cholesterol, or the umpteen other things that most people take as they get older.” “He does not take anything for blood pressure,”
She said that he began taking a vegan meal replacement to assist “enhance everything,” and that’s when he saw an improvement in his health. In addition to that, Barker takes a number of other supplements, including collagen. Burnet added:
“He is in pretty excellent health for his age, and he has not lost any of his sense of humor.” He has been quite fortunate in his life.
Before, Barker was described as “looking exhausted and sort of fragile, not just not looking healthy,” but recently, he has shown signs of having turned a new leaf. Burnet further said that “His physicians are rather shocked, whenever they have seen him, how healthy he appears for his age, and they are amazed that he takes nothing else.”
The pair decided to celebrate Barker’s birthday together by having a “very basic and quiet” gathering at his house, where they would have “cake and the normal stuff.”
Despite this, a great number of individuals wrote online to convey their excitement for Barker’s big day. In a tweet, one user wished Bob Barker a happy 99th birthday. “The guy who single-handedly got every single member of Generation X through their sick days and kept them home from school.” The official Twitter feed for “The Price Is Right” said that “This is a special Monday since it is Bob Barker’s Birthday.” I want for this day to be as amazing as it always is.