Bob Barker turned 99 in December 2022, and despite all the challenges he has endured, he has a lot to be thankful for. Nancy Burnet, Barker’s lifelong companion, recently provided some insightful observations about her partner’s current state of affairs. Here are some specifics.
Bob Barker, a well-known entertainment legend, was a force to be reckoned with when he hosted television game shows. His work on “The Price Is Right” on CBS was his most notable accomplishment. The legendary commentator’s talent continues to have a significant impact on show business even after he eventually retired.
Undoubtedly, Barker had a successful career, but he was also well recognized for other reasons besides his work. The legendary figure in show business had a love life that he was always quite loud and proud of.
For many years, he and Dorothy Jo Gideon were blissfully wed. When Barker wasn’t giving prizes to players on the popular CBS game show, he was traveling with his lovely wife.
Although Barker and Gideon did not have children because they did not have the time, they were married for 36 years after walking down the aisle in 1945.
Unfortunately, a catastrophe brought their lovely union to an end. Six months after receiving her lung cancer diagnosis, on October 19, 1981, Gideon passed away at the age of 57.
Barker admitted that it was a terrible period for him and that Gideon was always by his side until she passed away. The former game show host kept his late wife’s memories alive for the following couple of years and consistently declined the chance to be married again.
Despite being in a happy relationship with his longstanding partner, Nancy Burnet, Barker hasn’t remarried despite Gideon’s passing decades earlier.
Four decades have passed since the two first fell in love, and it appears that Barker and Burnet’s relationship is just getting stronger. Here are some more specifics concerning Barker’s life and his connection to Burnet.
In March 1983, Barker and Burnet met for the first time during a pet adoption event. Due to their shared love of animals, the two had little trouble connecting right away.
Soon after, they began dating, and they’ve been together ever since. Barker and Burnet don’t seem to be separating any time soon, forty years later.
They have also put their shared love for animals to good use. The duo is proud owners of DonkeyLand, an almost 2000-acre rescue, sanctuary, and wildlife preserve dedicated to saving wild Burros and their habitats. Despite being through a tragic loss in the past, Barker seems to be in a good place.
During an interview with Closer weekly in August 2022, his girlfriend verified it. As stated by Burnet:
“He is doing fairly well…
He is content and engaged. For being so close to 99 years old, he is simply doing astonishingly well.”
In light of Burnet’s confession and the difficulties he has faced, including his health, internet users are overjoyed for the retired “The Price Is Right” star. Barker has experienced a number of health problems over the previous few years, including a stroke, skin cancer, prostate surgery, and a partially blocked left carotid artery.
Despite being in a long-term, fulfilling relationship, Barker’s sentimental bond to his deceased wife has not changed.
Barker has also fallen at home, resulting in head and knee injuries, stitches, and other ailments. Then, in 2019, the legend was seen in a wheelchair in Beverly Hills as he was being carried into a van, a few months after another collapse in his Los Angeles home. Thankfully, Burnet has been by his side during these trying times in his life, so he has never felt alone.
As people age, it is normal for their strength and endurance to decline; Barker has experienced this as well. His health issues and waning strength forced him to retire in his 80s after spending many active years in the entertainment world. Burnet once disclosed in an interview: “He had a lengthy career, so performing the act became really taxing. You just don’t have the stamina, you know, and that’s just a part of getting older. He continued to work well into his 80s.”
Barker had a strong connection to “The Price Is High” because he hosted the program for many years. After quitting in 2007, Barker continued to watch on occasion.
Closer Weekly was informed by a friend of the icon that Barker appreciated the host, Drew Carey, and the program.
Unfortunately, Burnet said that her partner had quit watching “The Price is Right” in the August 2022 interview with Closer Weekly. Her words are:
“It’s distinctive. Nothing like it used to be. It would therefore be completely different. Right now, he’d prefer to watch a movie or something.”
The loss of a loved one is one of those events in life that you can never forget. Despite being in a long-term, fulfilling relationship, Barker’s sentimental bond to his deceased wife has not changed.
To mark the 36th anniversary of his late wife’s passing, the former television host paid a visit to Gideon’s grave at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles in October 2017.
Pictures taken during the visit showed a distraught Barker clutching a sizable bunch of daisies. A female babysitter kept watch as the former “Truth or Consequence” host paid honor to his Central High School girlfriend for 20 minutes. For Barker, it was a special moment in time.
Given that their first encounter occurred at an Ella Fitzgerald concert in Missouri when the legendary entertainer was just 15 years old, it is not shocking to see how deeply Barker misses his late wife.
After leaving the Navy six years later, Barker eloped with Gideon and later got married. Sadly, they were unable to remain together forever. But Gideon will always be a part of Barker’s life, and Barker will always treasure the moments they shared.
He is aided by Burnet as he upholds Gideon’s legacy. We can only hope that their love endures for the rest of their life.
