Bob Barker, the former host of the television game show “The Price Is Right,” did not have any children. He was married to Dorothy Jo Gideon for 36 years, and they built a beautiful life together but never had kids. Please note that this information is based on my existing knowledge and not on recent search results.

Featured Answers

Bob Barker did not have any kids of his own. He and his wife Dorothy Jo Gideon, were married for 36 years, built a beautiful life together, but never had kids.

Answered from HERBERT WALKER

How Many Kids Did Bob Barker Have?

For 35 years, Bob Barker's warm smile and enthusiastic voice greeted viewers as the beloved host of the classic game show The Price is Right. Though he became a fixture in American homes, entertaining audiences with his upbeat personality, Barker never took on the role of fatherhood himself. He and his wife mutually decided against having children during their long marriage.

Barker devoted his life to his career and charitable causes rather than raising kids. While some imagined he harbored paternal instincts, Barker felt content without becoming a parent. At age 50, he took steps to ensure he would remain childless. Now in his late 90s, he looks back confidently on forgoing fatherhood and focusing his energy elsewhere.

Bob Barker's Rise to Fame as a Game Show Host

Born in Washington in 1923, Bob Barker grew up during the Great Depression. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before attending college at Drury University on the G.I. Bill. Though he originally studied to become a teacher, Barker found himself drawn to radio broadcasting after working at a local station.

Barker soon shifted to the new frontier of television. In 1950, he landed his breakout role hosting the game show Truth or Consequences. This segued into hosting duties for the beauty pageant Miss USA and Miss Universe throughout the 1960s.

But Barker became a pop culture icon once he took the helm of the pricing game show The Price is Right in 1972. His smooth delivery of the catchphrase “Come on down!” became legendary over the next 35 years. Barker finally retired from Price is Right in 2007 at age 83, cementing his legacy.

His Enduring Marriage to Wife Dorothy Jo

Amidst his early media success, Bob Barker married his high school sweetheart Dorothy Jo Gideon in 1945. They met as teens in Washington and reconnected years later. The two were devoted partners for more than 36 years until Dorothy Jo's death from lung cancer in 1981.

By all accounts, Barker cherished the lifelong love he shared with his wife. The pair traveled to exotic locales like Africa on memorable vacations. Even as Barker's celebrity grew, he remained loyally by Dorothy Jo's side. But despite their close union, the couple never chose to have children together.

Opting Out of Parenthood

According to Bob Barker himself, he and his wife made the deliberate choice not to have kids. In interviews late in life, he explained:

“We didn't think we would be good parents. We were very happy without children.”

“[Dorothy Jo] was a gorgeous creature. We didn't have children. We didn't want them.”

The couple appears to have been content simply being husband and wife, without feeling compelled to become parents. Barker valued their adventures together and focused on supporting Dorothy's passion for painting. Starting a family didn't fit their vision.

Views on Overpopulation

Part of Barker's stance against having kids related to his views on overpopulation. He has been quoted as saying:

“I believe this world is overpopulated right now…I believe it so strongly that I had a vasectomy early on.”

Even in the 1950s and 60s, Barker held concerns about unsustainable population growth. Getting a vasectomy allowed him to permanently prevent unplanned pregnancies. These actions aligned with his support for family planning and sustainable lifestyles.

Celebrity Childlessness – A Trailblazer

In the era Barker rose to fame, celebrities having children was far more common and expected. But he and Dorothy Jo helped pave the way for other famous couples to choose childlessness without stigma.

By one estimate, around 20% of celebrity marriages did not produce kids in the 1950s – compared to 10% of the general public. Over time, those childfree rates climbed. Today 1 in 5 women in the U.S. reaches her 40s without bearing children – double rates in Barker's era.

So while less typical then, Barker's choice put him on the leading edge of a profound societal shift. He and Dorothy modeled a rewarding marriage centered on their devotion as partners over parenthood.

Forming Bonds with Extended Family

Though Bob Barker never raised kids of his own, he shared loving relationships with nieces, nephews, and other younger relatives.

Family members recall Barker as a doting uncle who kept up with all the details of his nieces' and nephews' lives. He attended their school events, gave thoughtful gifts, and offered words of wisdom and encouragement as they grew up.

Later in life, Barker also grew close to the young daughters of his live-in companion Nancy Burnet. Well into his 80s and 90s, he enthusiastically cheered them on at dance recitals and volleyball games.

Mentoring Aspiring Broadcasters and Entertainers

In addition to familial bonds, Bob Barker extended his warm persona to mentoring young people pursuing entertainment careers. He took many up-and-coming broadcasters and game show hosts under his wing.

Barker made special efforts to empower women trying to break into broadcasting and game shows, aware of the hurdles they faced in the male-dominated industries. His advice gave many female journalists and hosts their career starts.

Though Barker never raised kids at home, his guidance launched many young adults on paths to success and fulfilled their dreams.

Generous Support for Children's Causes

Despite not having his own children, Bob Barker has donated substantial sums over the decades to charitable organizations supporting kids in need.

He gave millions of dollars to groups like the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society that protect marine wildlife including whales, with the goal of preserving these creatures for future generations of children.

Barker also funded scholarships at his alma mater Drury College designed to help high school students from low-income backgrounds afford college. And for over thirty years, he sponsored the winner of the Miss USA pageant's charity work, much of which benefited children's hospitals.

No Regrets on Missing Fatherhood

Now in his late 90s, Bob Barker has said he feels content with his and his wife's decision to not have kids:

“I'm so lucky that I never had children. Can you imagine me at 91 with grown children? And the children would have children. I can't tell you how happy I am that I didn't do that.”

Given his advanced age, Barker realizes he would not have had the energy to properly focus on fatherhood later in life. While some imagined he harbored paternal instincts, Barker feels he led a rich life without taking the parent route.

How Parenthood May Have Changed His Path

If Bob Barker had become a father back in his 40s and 50s, his life would have veered down a dramatically different path.

He may have decided to step back from the limelight of Hollywood to focus on raising a family. Retiring from The Price is Right could have come decades earlier to spend time with his kids. His world travels and adventurous lifestyle also would have been curtailed as a dad.

And rather than devoting his wealth and later years to charity, much of Barker's time and resources may have gone to supporting his grown children and their own families. While parenthood brings profound rewards, Barker's choice to remain childless allowed him to pursue ambitious career goals and philanthropic causes.

Conclusion

Bob Barker's enduring legacy as host of The Price is Right has cemented his status as a warm, beloved pop culture figure. But while he brought smiles to millions of TV viewers, he never took on the role of fatherhood himself. By all accounts, this was a deliberate choice that Barker never regretted. He and his wife valued their life together as a couple deeply devoted to each other.

They opted to focus their energies on their careers and passions rather than raising children. Barker went on to become a doting uncle, generous mentor, and champion for child-related charities off-screen. At nearly 100 years old, he remains happy with the childless path that enabled his success as an entertainer and philanthropist.

Reference

[1] https://parade.com/celebrities/bob-barker-wife-children
[2] https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/does-bob-barker-have-kids-inside-marriage-to-late-wife-dorothy/
[3] https://people.com/tv/who-was-dorothy-jo-gideon-bob-barker-wife/
[4] https://www.distractify.com/p/bob-barker-kids
[5] https://coopwb.in/info/bob-barker-children/
[6] https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/did-bob-barker-have-any-children.html/
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Barker