Believe It or Not, the Ratings Improved on ‘The Price Is Right’ When This Happened to Bob Barker

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In the pantheon of game shows, The Price Is Right stands out for a number of reasons. It boasts a staggering record of over 9,000 episodes — a number that even long-running game shows like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune haven’t been able to crack. It featured a number of famous faces, including Wheel‘s longtime co-host Vanna White. But one of the biggest draws has to be the show’s former host, Bob Barker; from 1972 to his retirement in 2007, Barker’s wit and charm were a major draw of The Price Is Right. But according to Barker, one thing happened to him that drove up the ratings for the show. What exactly was this life-changing development?

Bob Barker Going Gray Led to ‘The Price Is Right’s Ratings Increasing

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Barker sat down with the Los Angeles Times in 1990 to discuss The Price Is Right, particularly its lengthy tenure and success. During the interview, he revealed that the ratings began to increase due to his hair going gray: “I was prematurely gray…I began to gray at my temples, and I guess it could be that technology at that time was not what it is today, but I didn’t look good. It looked like I had no hair at my temples, so they suggested I tint it.” But this didn’t have the desired effect, as Barker tinting his hair led to it turning blue, while dying made it an apparently unflattering shade of red. Finally, Barker decided to embrace the gray.

This led to a hilarious moment, which is due in part to The Price Is Right being pre-taped. “We taped ahead…So let’s say on the Wednesday show I had dark hair, but when we taped the next show I had gray hair and that show aired on Thursday. I got a letter from a fellow who said, ‘Bob, you must have had one hell of a night‘” Barker chuckled. While Barker’s graying hair might have been a major ratings boost, his demeanor as a host was a large part of it as well. He’d treat each taping of The Price Is Right as if it were airing live, which helped audiences to feel as if they were part of the audience. It also didn’t hurt that he had experience hosting another TV show.

Bob Barker Hosted Another Game Show During ‘The Price Is Right’s Early Days

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Prior to The Price Is Right‘s debut, Barker was the host of Truth or Consequences. Truth or Consequences lived up to its name by having the contestants answer a series of questions, and if they didn’t answer in time, they had to face the “consequences” — which often resulted in their performance of an embarrassing stunt. One episode had a contestant shoving a pie in her husband’s face! Barker even got in on the action, with a game called “Barker’s Box” that either had money or a “surprise” (and not usually a pleasant one). Both Truth and Consequences and The Price Is Right showcased Barker’s range as a host since he was a bit of an impish prankster on the former but more jovial and approachable on the latter. Though Truth and Consequences may not be as well known as The Price Is Right, it does have its own lasting legacy as there’s a town in New Mexico named after the show.

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Bob Barker Enjoyed a Healthy Career Thanks to ‘The Price Is Right’

With The Price Is Right‘s success came plenty of chances for Barker to make his mark on pop culture. Probably the most infamous is his appearance on Happy Gilmore where he beats up Adam Sandler‘s titular golfer (on the condition that he actually got to throw his punches). But Barker also played a role in other television shows, including SpongeBob SquarePants (where he played a thinly veiled version of himself called “Bob Barnacle”) and How I Met Your Mother, since Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) mistakenly believed at the time that Barker was his father. Even after retiring in 2007, Barker made a handful of appearances on The Price Is Right, with one of them celebrating his 90th birthday!

The fact that Bob Barker embracing his age made The Price Is Right skyrocket in the ratings is a surprise. But it also shows that transparency can go a long way; rather than running away from the fact that he was graying, Barker didn’t hide it and didn’t let it affect his hosting abilities.