A publicist says popular game show host Bob Barker, a household name for a half-century as host of 91裸聊视频淭ruth or Consequences91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淭he Price Is Right,91裸聊视频� has died at his home in Los Angeles. Barker was 99.

Barker 91裸聊视频� also a longtime animal rights activist 91裸聊视频� died Saturday morning (Aug. 26), according to publicist Roger Neal.

91裸聊视频淚 am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally,91裸聊视频� said Nancy Burnet, his longtime friend and caretaker, in a statement.

Barker retired in June 2007, telling his studio audience: 91裸聊视频淚 thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me into your home for more than 50 years.91裸聊视频�

Barker was working in radio in 1956 when producer Ralph Edwards invited him to audition as the new host of 91裸聊视频淭ruth or Consequences,91裸聊视频� a game show in which audience members had to do wacky stunts 91裸聊视频� the 91裸聊视频渃onsequence91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� if they failed to answer a question 91裸聊视频� the 91裸聊视频渢ruth,91裸聊视频� which was always the silly punchline to a riddle no one was ever meant to furnish. (Q: What did one eye say to another? A: Just between us, something smells.)

In a 1996 interview with The Associated Press, Barker recalled receiving the news that he had been hired: 91裸聊视频淚 know exactly where I was, I know exactly how I felt: I hung up the phone and said to my wife, 91裸聊视频楧orothy Jo, I got it!91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�

Barker stayed with 91裸聊视频淭ruth or Consequences91裸聊视频� for 18 years 91裸聊视频� including several years in a syndicated version.

Meanwhile, he began hosting a resurrected version of 91裸聊视频淭he Price Is Right91裸聊视频� in 1972. (The original host in the 1950s and 91裸聊视频�60s was Bill Cullen.) It would become TV91裸聊视频檚 longest-running game show and the last on a broadcast network of what in TV91裸聊视频檚 early days had numbered dozens.

91裸聊视频淚 have grown old in your service,91裸聊视频� the silver-haired, perennially tanned Barker joked on a prime-time television retrospective in the mid-91裸聊视频�90s.

In all, he taped more than 5,000 shows in his career. He said he was retiring because 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 just reaching the age where the constant effort to be there and do the show physically is a lot for me. 91裸聊视频� Better (to leave) a year too soon than a year too late.91裸聊视频� Comedian Drew Carey was chosen to replace him.

Barker was back with Carey for one show broadcast in April 2009. He was there to promote the publication of his memoir, 91裸聊视频淧riceless Memories,91裸聊视频� in which he summed up his joy from hosting the show as the opportunity 91裸聊视频渢o watch people reveal themselves and to watch the excitement and humor unfold.91裸聊视频�

He well understood the attraction of 91裸聊视频淭he Price Is Right,91裸聊视频� in which audience members 91裸聊视频� invited to 91裸聊视频淐ome on down!91裸聊视频� to the stage 91裸聊视频� competed for prizes by trying to guess their retail value.

91裸聊视频淓veryone can identify with prices, even the president of the United States. Viewers at home become involved because they all have an opinion on the bids,91裸聊视频� Barker once said. His own appeal was clear: Barker played it straight 91裸聊视频� warm, gracious and witty 91裸聊视频� refusing to mock the game show format or his contestants.

91裸聊视频淚 want the contestants to feel as though they91裸聊视频檙e guests in my home,91裸聊视频� he said in 1996. 91裸聊视频淧erhaps my feeling of respect for them comes across to viewers, and that may be one of the reasons why I91裸聊视频檝e lasted.91裸聊视频�

As a TV personality, Barker retained a touch of the old school 91裸聊视频� for instance, no wireless microphone for him. Like the mic itself, the mic cord served him well as a prop, insouciantly flicked and finessed.

His career longevity, he said, was the result of being content. 91裸聊视频淚 had the opportunity to do this type of show and I discovered I enjoyed it 91裸聊视频� People who do something that they thoroughly enjoy and they started doing it when they91裸聊视频檙e very young, I don91裸聊视频檛 think they want to stop.91裸聊视频�

Barker also spent 20 years as host of the Miss USA Pageant and the Miss Universe Pageant. A longtime animal rights activist who daily urged his viewers to 91裸聊视频渉ave your pets spayed or neutered91裸聊视频� and successfully lobbied to ban fur coats as prizes on 91裸聊视频淭he Price Is Right,91裸聊视频� he quit the Miss USA Pageant in 1987 in protest over the presentation of fur coats to the winners.

91裸聊视频淚 am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally,91裸聊视频� said Nancy Burnet, his longtime friend and caretaker, in a statement. Burnet is now also the co-executor of Barker91裸聊视频檚 estate.

In 1997, Barker declined to be a presenter at the Daytime Emmy awards ceremony because he said it snubbed game shows by not airing awards in the category. He called game shows 91裸聊视频渢he pillars of daytime TV.91裸聊视频�

He had a memorable cameo appearance on the big screen in 1996, sparring with Adam Sandler in the movie 91裸聊视频淗appy Gilmore.91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淚 did `The Price Is Right91裸聊视频� for 35 years, and they91裸聊视频檙e asking me how it was to beat up Adam Sandler,91裸聊视频� Barker later joked.

In 1994, the widowed Barker was sued for sexual harassment by Dian Parkinson, a 91裸聊视频淧rice is Right91裸聊视频� model for 18 years. Barker admitted engaging in 91裸聊视频渉anky panky91裸聊视频� with Parkinson from 1989-91 but said she initiated the relationship. Parkinson dropped the lawsuit in 1995, saying it was hurting her health.

Barker became embroiled in a dispute with another former 91裸聊视频淧rice Is Right91裸聊视频� model, Holly Hallstrom, who claimed she was fired in 1995 because the show91裸聊视频檚 producers believed she was fat. Barker denied the allegations.

Neither uproar affected his goodwill from the audience.

Born in Darrington, Washington, in 1923, Barker spent part of his childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where his widowed mother had taken a teaching job. The family later moved to Springfield, Mo., where he attended high school. He served in the Navy in World War II.

He married Dorothy Jo Gideon, his high school sweetheart; she died in 1981 after 37 years of marriage. They had no children.

Barker was given a lifetime achievement award at the 26th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 1999. He closed his acceptance remarks with the signoff: 91裸聊视频淗ave your pets spayed or neutered.91裸聊视频�

Frazier Moore, The Associated Press