Late American game show host Bob Barker is now at the center of the E! Entertainment two-part docuseries, Dirty Rotten Scandals: The Price is Right, which premiered on March 18.
Barker, who was the longest-serving host on CBS’ syndicated daytime game show, The Price is Right, from 1972 to 2007, died at his Los Angeles residence in August 1993, aged 99.
His death was from natural causes after a decades-long battle with Alzheimer’s and other medical conditions. Bob didn’t leave behind any survivors, nor did he have any children.
He did, however, marry his childhood sweetheart, Dorothy Jo Gideon, in 1945. She died from lung cancer in 1981, at the age of 57.
Thereafter, in 1983, Bob Barker began dating animal rights activist Nancy Burnet, who was nearly 20 years younger than him. They were together until Barker’s demise.
All about Bob Barker’s family life
Bob Barker, whose full name was Robert William Barker, was born in Darrington, Washington, in December 1923. His parents were Byron John Barker, an electrical high line foreman, and Matilda Valandra, a schoolteacher.
Barker crossed paths with his future wife, Dorothy, at an Ella Fitzgerald concert in Missouri in 1938 when they were both teenagers. They tied the knot in January 1945, when he was on leave from his duties as a trained fighter pilot for the U.S. Navy Reserve.
According to the recent docuseries, Bob Barker was heartbroken after his wife’s death, who was his “biggest cheerleader.” The Price is Right producer Barbara Hunter recalled:
“They went to Hawaii in August, and she was diagnosed with lung cancer and died two months later… Bob really went into a funk after that. He was ready to take his own life. That’s what he shared with me.”
Meanwhile, one of the original models, aka Barker’s Beauties, Holly Hallstrom, revealed:
“He was devastated, really, by her death. There was a long period of mourning. And then, all of a sudden, he became Mr Man About Town, you know? He knew he was the star of the biggest show in daytime, and Dorothy Jo wasn’t there anymore, keeping him reined in. It was like he was unleashed and turned into this narcissistic egomaniac.”
Hallstrom, 73, also claimed that Bob Barker’s relationship with Nancy Burnet suffered during his brief alleged romance with model Dian Parkinson.
“It took a toll. There was fighting on the sets, yelling, and it was massive. And it ultimately, I think, destroyed The Price is Right,” Holly explained.
It is noteworthy that Bob Barker and Nancy Burnet met at an animal shelter in Orange County, California. In the late 2000s, he reportedly wanted to marry her and even sent a prenup to her lawyer in 2011. However, Burnet declined, but continued to be his partner alongside the health and diet manager.
Speaking with Esquire in 2007, Bob Barker explained why he chose never to have children with his late wife, as they “didn’t have time” and were busy caring for animals.
“I don’t regret it, not when so many of my friends are having so much trouble with their children. I have 13 ducks, and that’s a lot of work,” he added.
He also told the publication about his marriage:
“She was with me all the time until she died. For some men, maybe a second or third marriage would work out fine. In my case, I had my marriage, and she was the love of my life.”
As a lifelong animal activist, Bob Barker was famous for the end catchphrase on The Price is Right, where he said:
“Help end the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.”
In his 2009 memoir, Priceless Memories, Barker revealed that he enjoyed having little kids on his show as they turned out to be “marvelous contestants.” He further explained:
“If a little girl or little boy will talk in a natural way with you and you can’t get laughs with him or her, you’re in the wrong business.”
In the aftermath of his passing, Nancy Burnet paid tribute by stating:
“Just about everywhere we ever traveled, we became involved in some animal issue or something. I am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry… including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally.”
Together, the Truth or Consequences host and Burnet founded an animal rights nonprofit in 1987.
While Bob Barker may not have been a dad, he was like a “father figure” to The Price is Right announcer Rod Roddy, as per the latter’s statement to Desert News.
Edited by Pallavi K