Bold And The Beautiful Star Bob Barker, Iconic Game Show Host, Dies At 99

Television legend Bob Barker has died at age 99. Famed for hosting game shows like The Price Is Right, Barker attracted viewers by combining charm with wit. But Bob also delighted fans with his appearance on the Bold And The Beautiful.

Learn about the iconic TV star’s impressive career. And discover his passion for animal rights amid his more than 50 years on TV. Get all the details below, including his role on The Bold And The Beautiful.

Bob Barker Dies At 99

From The Price Is Right to The Bold And The Beautiful, Bob Barker became a TV legend. And his fans mourned as news spread that Bob passed away at age 99. But his publicist Roger Neal also revealed his own “profound sadness” about Barker’s death. “The World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker has left us,” shared the publicist via NBC.

Barker struck gold in 1972 with The Price Is Right. But he faced a challenge. Because game shows had become less popular, Bob needed to grow his audience. And he did so with his ability to charm viewers.

And Robert Thompson, the director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University, offered his views on Barker’s success. Because Bob hosted game shows for more than five decades, he turned himself into a legendary game show host.

Bob Barker Knew How To Interact With ‘Regular People’

And Thompson praised Barker for his skills as a game show host. “From the black and white era of television right up to the new century, Bob Barker had a real presence on two really big shows,” pointed out the entertainment industry expert. And he noted, “Secondly, you’ve got some game shows where the host just stands behind a podium.”

But Barker “really interacted with regular people” who participated on the shows as contestants, shared Thompson. “And he was particularly good at it.”

Born in Darrington, Washington, on Dec. 12, 1923, Bob moved with his mother at age 6 to a Sioux Indian reservation in Mission, South Dakota. His father died in an accident. And his mother, a schoolteacher, later remarried and moved to Missouri.

Bob Barker, the iconic host of ‘The Price Is Right’ has died at 99, @TMZ reports. pic.twitter.com/u0BIZpp3Pz

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 26, 2023

Bob Barker Believed In Animal Rights

Barker served for two years in the Navy at the end of World War II. And he then headed back to Missouri to go to Drury College. However, Bob’s career really began with a job at a radio station in Florida.

And in 1950, Barker headed to California to host his own radio program, “The Bob Barker Show.” As a result, Barker received his first game show gig six years later. And his role on NBC’s Truth or Consequences turned into an 18-year position.

Bob also took on other roles. For instance, starting in 1967, he became emcee of the Miss Universe and Miss America pageants. And in 1969, Barker became the host of the New Year’s Day Tournament of Roses Parade. Bob received an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

READ THIS: Find out what happens next on The Bold and The Beautiful.

Barker married his high school girlfriend, Dorothy Jo Gideon, in 1945. She died in 1945. But Bob also created a charity based on his belief in animal rights. And he famously ended every episode of The Price Is Right with a request.

“Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered,” Barker would plea to audiences. His charity offered those services. And he named it the DJ&T Foundation after his wife and her mother. Bob first became passionate about animal rights when he gave away his first prize as host on The Price Is Right: A fur coat. 

Bob Barker Delights On Bold And The Beautiful

However, Barker also delighted fans by portraying himself on The Bold and the Beautiful. Bob appeared in an homage to his cameo from the 1996 movie Happy Gilmore. And he even incorporated punches, complete with sound effects, after arguing with Darin Brooks (Wyatt Spencer), noted EW.

“I thought it was a wonderful idea because Happy Gilmore is still playing on television frequently and everybody loved that fight scene,” Barker shared when the episode aired. And he added, “For Bold and Beautiful to be so bold as to copy, more or less, is wonderful!” But Barker revealed that he didn’t need to train, calling himself a “natural fighter.” 

Tell us what you think. What are your memories of Bob Barker? And after you share your views, check back on our site for more news about The Bold And The Beautiful.