Bob Barker, longtime 'The Price is Right' host, dead at 99
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- Legendary "The Price Is Right" host Bob Barker has died at 99.
- Barker hosted the gameshow for 35 years.
- He's survived by his half-brother and extended family.
Bob Barker, longtime host of "The Price is Right," died. He was 99 years old.
A representative for Barker confirmed his death in a statement shared with Insider on Saturday. Barker died of natural causes while at his Hollywood Hills home. He is survived by his half-brother, Kent Valandra, his half-nephews Robert Valandra and Chip Valandra, and his half-niece Vickie Valandra Kelly.
"It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World's Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker has left us," the statement read.
The Emmy-winning daytime TV personality was born Robert William Barker in 1923 in Darrington, Washington. He trained as a fighter pilot for the US Naval Reserve during World War II, but the war ended before he was given an assignment.
Barker started his career in media while still in college at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, when he worked at KTTS-FM Radio. He then had a stint at WWPG 1340 AM, now known as WPBR in Lantana, in Palm Beach, Florida.
In 1950, Barker began hosting his own radio show, "The Bob Barker Show." Barker was discovered while hosting a radio show on KNX (AM) in Los Angeles.
Barker became the host of "Truth and Consequences" in 1956, a quiz show that mixed in pranks. Barker ended his run as host of that show in 1974. Barker also hosted short-lived game shows including "The Family Game," "Simon Says," and "That's My Line."
In 1972, Barker began hosting "The Price Is Right." Barker retired from the show after 35 years in 2007. Drew Carey replaced him. "The Price Is Right" was the first hourlong TV game show, and remains the longest-running game show in history. The show featured dozens of different games that required the contestants to guess the price of various products, ranging from luxury cars to stoves.
A strict vegetarian, Barker often incorporated his passion for animal rights into his work, encouraging audiences to spay or neuter their pets at the end of "The Price is Right" episodes. In 1987, Barker pulled out of an opportunity to host the Miss USA pageant because it refused to omit fur prizes for contestants.
In 1945, Barker married high school sweetheart Dorothy Jo Gideon. She died of cancer in 1981. They had no children, and Barker never remarried.
Two women who worked on "The Price Is Right" publicly accused Barker of sexual harassment. In 1994, Dian Parkinson, who engaged in a three-year affair with Barker, filed a lawsuit against him. Parkinson said that Barker extorted her with threats of firing her, but the suit was dropped. In 1995, a model accused Barker of similar harassment and wrongful termination. The suit reached a settlement in 2005.
Barker won 14 Daytime Emmys Awards for outstanding game show host, and was awarded an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement in 1999. CBS reported that Barker won 19 Emmy Awards in total.
Barker was no stranger to the occasional cameo. He made appearances as himself in multiple TV shows and films, including "How I Met Your Mother," "Futurama," and "The Nanny." His most iconic cameo is his appearance in the 1996 Adam Sandler film, "Happy Gilmore," where he appears as himself at a celebrity golf tournament.