Bob Barker's Longtime Girlfriend Offers Insight Into His Final Days
Bob Barker's girlfriend Nancy Burnet is opening up about the former Price is Right host's final chapter.
Barker, who passed away at the age of 99 at his California home on Saturday morning, was in good hands towards the end of his life as Burnet told Today.com that while Barker "lived a very simple, quiet life, nothing extravagant or out of the ordinary," she felt as though she "set a record" in Los Angeles for the number of caretakers she went through.
But her dedication paid off, as she recalled his doctors being surprised by "how healthy and sturdy he was" for his age.
"Even in his final stages, he wasn’t that gaunt," she shared. "You know, some people at that age are very gaunt and thin and frail. He was not."
Part of Barker's tenacity may have been due to the high level of professional care and medical monitoring he was receiving at home, but Burnet's persistence and involvement may have also played a role.
She explained to the outlet that while the late MC legend spent his days surrounded by caregivers, the two would often talk on the phone and she would receive daily videos from the staff on duty so she could check in with the star regularly.
"I was in touch with the caregiver nurses every day, all day, and they checked in with me at night, if ever there was a problem and I was speaking with them until late … It was my pleasure to do it," she said. "To make sure that he was cared for in a way that everybody should be, frankly, but not everyone has that benefit that he did."
Burnet met Barker in 1983, two years after his wife Dorothy Jo Gideon passed away. The pair would remain companions until his death 40 years later.
Following the news of his death, Burnet, who often collaborated with Barker on animal advocacy work, noted, "I am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I 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 concluded, "He will be missed."
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