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Bob Barker died of Alzheimer’s disease, according to multiple media reports.
Barker had been living with the disease for “years,” and the television icon’s death certificate confirmed the causeof his death on Aug. 26 at age 99, according to People and Entertainment Tonight. The specific time of diagnosis was not provided.
Other significant contributors to his death included hypertension, hypothyroidism and hyperlipidemia, per the certificate. TMZ firstreportedthe news.
“Up to two months before Bob Barker‘s passing, he routinely participated in conversations and bedside exercises,” Barker’s longtime partner Nancy Burnet said in a statement to Rolling Stone on Tuesday.
He had not publicly spoken about having the disease and it is unclear how long he suffered from it. His publicist perviously confirmed his death last month. “It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker has left us,” Barker’s publicist Roger Neal said in a statementviaVariety.
Barker presided over the longest-running game show in history, The Price is Right. He got his start first hosting an adaptation of the popular radio game showTruth or Consequencesat NBC in 1956 (it ran through 1975). He began serving double duty when he also began hostingThe Price Is Rightin 1972 at CBS, where he remained for 35 years before stepping away in 2007.
His run withThe Price Is Righthad two incarnations where he served as host: from its debut in 1956 where it also aired on NBC and ABC through it being canceled in 1965, and later a new version, which has continued to be the blueprint of how the show runs today.
“We lost a beloved member of the CBS family today with the passing of Bob Barker. During his 35 years as host ofThe Price Is Right, Bob made countless people’s dreams come true and everyone feel like a winner when they were called to ‘come on down,’” CBS said in a statement after his death. “In addition to his legendary 50-year career in broadcasting, Bob will be remembered as a dedicated animal rights activist. Daytime television has lost one of its most iconic stars.”
The National Academy of Television Art and Sciences also paid tribute following his death. “Bob Barker was a Daytime television mainstay for generations. He helped to define the game show genre, cementingThe Price is Rightas a powerhouse format that has remained essentially unchanged for more than half a century,” CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement. “You don’t mess with perfection. His championship of the craft and for animal welfare were equal in their exuberance. His presence will be missed greatly by the Emmy community.”
