US game show host Bob Barker, who fronted "The Price Is Right" for 35 years, passed away in his home on Saturday, his publicist said. He was 99.
Ednews informs via CBC News that Barker hosted 6,586 episodes of "The Price Is Right" from 1972 through 2007, and the show became a pop culture institution. His catchphrase invitation for an audience member to come on stage and be the next contestant, "[Person's name], come on down!", became one of US television's most recognizable phrases.
He was also an avowed animal rights activist who often urged his viewers to have their pets neutered to control the animal population, and began a foundation to subsidize the practices.
In 1987, Barker walked away from his 20-year stint as the host of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants after organizers refused to stop draping contestants in fur coats.
"I 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," Barker's longtime friend and caretaker Nancy Burnet said in a statement on Saturday.