Bob Barker, the iconic host of The Price Is Right has died at the age of 99, as devastated fans have paid tribute.
The news of his death was confirmed by his publicist, Roger Neal, who said in a statement: "It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker, has left us."
Barker was the long-serving host of the game show The Price Is Right, having begun his run in 1972, taking over the ailing show which had been on air since the 1950s.
He gave the game show a new lease of life and continued as host until 2007.
Barker's girlfriend, Nancy Burnet, 79, also shared her heartbreak and her pride at the "trailblazing work" they "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."
She added: "We were great friends over these 40 years. He will be missed."
Barker's cause of death has been revealed to be natural causes, with the entertainer dying at his home in the Hollywood Hills.
His publicist later told Entertainment Tonight that the star will not have a public funeral or memorial service at his own request.
Neal also revealed that Barker will be laid to rest next to his late wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon, at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.
The pair had been high school sweethearts and were married from 1945 until 1981 when she died of lung cancer at the age of 57.
Barker was born in Darrington, Washington, on December 12, 1923, before moving to Mission, South Dakota, at the age of six to live on a Sioux Indian reservation with his mother, after his father tragically died in a workplace accident.
Near the end of World War II, Barker also served in the Navy for two years before returning to Missouri, where he completed a degree in economics, before getting a job at a radio station in Florida.
After moving to Burbank, California, Barker hosted a radio show called The Bob Barker Show, before becoming the host of Truth or Consequences, which he helmed until it ended 18 years later.
As well as his work on The Price Is Right, Barker also had a two-decade run as host of the Miss Universe and Miss America pageants.
Barker's glittering career saw him awarded 19 Daytime Emmys as well as an Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
He is also known for being an animal rights activist, famously ending each episode of The Price Is Right by urging the audience to "help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."
Barker convinced The Price Is Right bosses to stop giving away fur coats as prizes on the show, and he also founded the charity DJ&T foundation - named after his wife and her mother - providing services for pet owners.
He is survived by his half-brother Kent Valandra, nephews Robert and Chip Valandra, and niece Vickie Valandra Kelly.
Our thoughts remain with his family, friends, and fans at this heartbreaking time.
