Bob Barker’s cause of death has been made public. The TV legend and longtime host of “The Price Is Right” host, died from Alzheimer’s disease, according to media reports.
Barker, who passed away at age 99 in late August, suffered from Alzheimer’s, according to his death certificate. At the time his death was first announced on Aug. 26, Barker’s longtime publicist Roger Neal told TheWrap that Barker died of natural causes in his Hollywood Hills home.
Barker never publicly revealed nor acknowledged his diagnosis, and it’s unknown how long he had battled the disease.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker has left us,” Neal said in a statement sent to TheWrap at the time, also sharing a statement on behalf of Barker’s longtime companion Nancy Burnet.
“I am so proud of the trailblazing work [Bob] Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry, and working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally,” Burnet said in a statement. “We were great friends over these 40 years. He will be missed.”
Beginning his television career in 1956 hosting “Truth or Consequences,” Barker made a name for himself hosting game shows like Ralph Edwards’s “End of the Rainbow,” “The Family Game,” a pilot for “Simon Says” and series “That’s My Line.” It wasn’t until 1972 that Barker began hosting “The Price Is Right,” which he led until his retirement in 2007, when he passed the baton to Drew Carey. Following his departure from the show, Barker continued to return for special occasions alongside Carey, including Barker’s 9oth birthday and April Fool’s Day.
During his 35 years hosting the competition show, Barker was recognized with 14 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1999 Daytime Emmy Awards.
Last week, CBS hosted a special edition of the show in honor of Barker, titled “The Price Is Right: A Tribute to Bob Barker.” The special, hosted by Carey, looked back at Barker’s remarkable career, showing glimpses of Barker’s first and last episodes hosting “The Price Is Right.”
TMZ first reported the news.
