LOS ANGELES, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Multiple Emmy Award winner and U.S. game show icon, Bob Barker, announced Tuesday that his 35th year as host of "The Price is Right" will be his last.
Barker, who turns 83 in December, will retire in June after five decades on television, TMZ.com reported.
He made his debut as host of "Truth or Consequences" in 1956, launched his storied career with the popular "Price is Right" in 1972 and in 2002, broke Johnny Carson's record for continuous performances on a network TV series, Daily Variety reported.
In an interview, CBS Daytime Vice President Barbara Bloom noted Barker's appeal reaches across generations.
"It doesn't matter whether you're a grandmother or a college student, you've watched 'The Price Is Right' and had fun doing it because of what Bob brings as a host," she told Variety. "He never makes himself more important than the player or the game, so what comes across is just the pure enjoyment of playing along."
Through the years, Barker has won 17 Emmys. He became a member of the TV Academy Hall of Fame in 2004 and Stage 33 at CBS Television City was recently renamed the Bob Barker Studio.
