Drew Carey Weighs in on Retiring as ‘Price Is Right’ Host

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More than 15 years after he came on down and took over hosting duties from Bob Barker, Drew Carey has no plans to retire as host of The Price Is Right. Speaking about his future on the long-running game show, the comedian told Entertainment Tonight that he wants “to die on stage with a microphone in my hand.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he told the outlet at the CBS Fall Schedule Celebration earlier this month. “I think Bob made a mistake by retiring. I’m not gonna make that same mistake. As long as my heart is ticking and they want me to be on the show, I think I’m gonna do The Price is Right. I just love it.”

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After starring on The Drew Carey Show from 1995 until 2004 and in films like Coneheads and The Big Tease, Carey transitioned to the world of game shows in 2007 when he was named as Barker’s replacement. Barker retired in June 2007 after 35 years of hosting the show. Carey was named as the game show’s new host the following month and hosted his first episode that October. He told ET, “I think I was made for it.”

The Price Is Right is the longest-running game show in the US.

The iconic show first premiered in 1972 with Barker as host. Although he officially retired in 2007, Barker continued to appear on television, sometimes in a guest host capacity and returned to The Price is Right three times, his final appearance coming as an April Fool’s Day prank in 2015 when he switched places with Carey.

More than 15 years after stepping away from the show, Barker died in August 2023 after battling Alzheimer’s disease.

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He was 99. Paying tribute to Barker at the time, Carey wrote on social media, “very sad day for the Price Is Right family, and animal lovers all over the world. There hasn’t been a day on set that I didn’t think of Bob Barker and thank him. I will carry his memory in my heart forever. #RIPBobBarker We love you.”

He told ET a month later, “he was so good at this. He was so good at relating to people and getting them to be relaxed and be themselves. You watch his demeanor and his attitude. He never seemed stressed.”