WASHINGTON — Bob Barker, who hosted 'The Price is Right' for more than three decades, died Saturday at the age of 99. His death brought forth an outpouring of messages on social media from fans and fellow celebrities.
After Barker's death the phrase "RIP to the GOAT," referring to the "greatest of all time," began trending on X, formerly Twitter, as fans began paying homage.
Pursuing his passion of fighting for animal rights, Barker would sign off "The Price Is Right" each day by encouraging viewers to help control the domestic animal population by having their pets spayed or neutered. He also donated millions to universities so their law schools could create programs aimed at focusing on animal rights.
Barker retired from "The Price Is Right" in 2007, ending a 35-year run on the show and a 50-year career in television. Barker made a handful of appearances on the show after his retirement, including on April 1, 2015, when he briefly replaced current host Drew Carey as an April Fools' Day joke.
Following his death, CBS said in a statement that daytime television has lost one of its “most iconic stars."
“We lost a beloved member of the CBS family today with the passing of Bob Barker," the network said, noting that he had “made countless people’s dreams come true and everyone feel like a winner when they were called to ‘come on down.’”
Drew Carey:
“Very sad day for the Price Is Right family, and animal lovers all over the world. There hasn’t been a day on set that I didn’t think of Bob Barker and thank him. I will carry his memory in my heart forever.” Drew Carey wrote in a post on X, the site formerly known as Twitter.
Adam Sandler:
"The man. The myth. The best. Such a sweet funny guy to hang out with. Loved talking to him. Loved laughing with him. Loved him kicking the crap out of me. He will be missed by everyone I know! Heartbreaking day. Love to Bob always and his family! Thanks for all you gave us!" Sandler wrote in a post on X.
Julie Bowen:
"I will never forget Adam convincing Bob Barker to say the iconic line, “the price is WRONG, bi*ch!” Bob was kind and polite and had declined to say the line, but he got swept up in the hilarious fight scene between him and Happy, he just…said it. It’s one of my favorite filming memories ever," the Modern Family actress said in an Instagram post. "In honor of Bob: please remember to spay and neuter your pets. RIP Bob."
Tom Bergeron:
"On weekends, when we’d shoot Hollywood Squares on the same stage where @therealpriceisright shot on weekdays, I used his dressing room. When he retired I interviewed him for @goodmorningamerica. When I asked him to read the manuscript of my book, he offered to write a blurb for it. Many thanks, Bob. Rest in peace 😔" the fellow game show host said in an Instagram post.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.