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Bob Barker, Who Hosted ‘Price Is Right’ for 35 Years, Says the Show Snubbed Him in Its Anniversary Telecast — and He Knows Why

Sep 5, 2012  •  Post A Comment

Bob Barker, the longtime host of "The Price Is Right," says the show banned him from its 40th anniversary telecast, which aired Monday, reports the New York Post. Barker, 88, cited his past criticism of the show as the reason.

An outspoken animal rights advocate, Barker has condemned the show’s awarding of prizes such as trips to places and events he thinks are cruel to animals.

"Look, the show is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and I did 35 years of those 40 years. Do you think there might be somebody out there in TV land who’d have liked to have seen me on the show?” Barker said, according to the story.

Since Barker left “Price” in 2007, he has continued to criticize the show — including speaking out against the awarding of a trip last February to the annual rodeo event the Calgary Stampede.

“It’s considered one of the most despicable of all the rodeos and has a terrible reputation,” Barker said. “I’m ashamed of [the show’s] total disregard for animals.”

Barker has also blasted “Price Is Right” in the past for awarding a trip to Sea World, which he called “a terrible place,” the story reports.

CBS had no comment, the report notes, but a source said the anniversary show wasn’t about Barker. “The show was about inviting back former contestants from the past 40 years,” the insider said. “It would have been great to bring Bob back, but then the focus would have been on Bob — which would have been unfair for the people who were coming back.”

Here’s a notorious clip from "The Price Is Right" during Barker’s hosting days, which has been viewed online almost 10 million times:

7 Comments

  1. “Look, the show is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and I did 35 years of those 40 years. Do you think there might be somebody out there in TV land who’d have liked to have seen me on the show?” Barker said, according to the story.
    Apparently the producers didn’t think so.

  2. And none of the other surviving hosts were included either. Barker wasn’t the only host the show has had. The Price is Right was around before Barker and it lives on after him. I see nothing wrong with keeping the focus on the contestants.
    Besides, if you want to be invited to a party, don’t bad-mouth the host!

  3. Bob Barker and The Price Is Right are a package deal, as Drew Carey has shown us.

  4. Surviving hosts? Didn’t know there were any. Cullen’s gone. So’s Dennis James. I can’t think of any others.

  5. Tom Kennedy and Doug Davidson each hosted syndicated nighttime versions. Kennedy in the 80s, Davidson in the 90s.

  6. Bob made The Price Is Right and should have had some part in the show’s annivesrary celebration.

  7. Could the decision to bar Bob Barker from the anniversary have to do with the legal problems surrounding his former models, especially Holly Hallstrom?

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