Nancy Burnet Reveals Why She And Bob Barker Never Married Despite His Many Proposals

Famous TV personality Bob Barker died in late August, just a few months before his 100th birthday. He spent 35 years on The Price Is Right show, interacting with over 40,000 contestants responding to the show’s signature line to “come on down!” Bob’s dedication to his craft earned him numerous awards, including eighteen Daytime Emmys.

Aside from an excellent career, Bob had an interesting personal life, especially when it came to romance. The CBS show host never married his partner, Nancy Burnet, despite his several proposals during their 40-year relationship. However, he was formerly married to Dorothy Jo Gideon until she died from lung cancer in 1981.

Why did Nancy and Bob stay unmarried?

After Dorothy died, Bob met Nancy at an animal adoption event in 1983, where he started a conversation and asked “if she was married or single.” One would wonder why the couple continued to date without tying the knot, and Nancy recently clarified their dynamic.

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“When we first met, Bob said he was never going to remarry, and I said, ‘Perfect, I have no interest in getting married. But he proposed to me many times. I didn’t want any of it,” Nancy, a divorcee when they met, said.

The couple enjoyed their shared interest in animals, and Nancy was by his side while he battled Alzheimer’s disease. “I took care of every single thing, down to how to comb his hair. He was very particular and felt like he should always be the host,” she added, noting that his appearance was important to him despite his condition.

Dorothy inspired Bob’s love for animals

Bob made a significant impact by “urging people to spay or neuter their pets,” which resulted in a dramatic decrease in euthanized shelter pets in America since the ‘90s. “He had no idea he was opening up the floodgates. That made him very happy,” Nancy said.

Bob credited his love for pets to his high school sweetheart and late wife, Dorothy. “She was ahead of her time. She stopped wearing fur coats before anyone was stopping,” he said. “She became a vegetarian before people were becoming vegetarian. And I gradually did the same thing with her.”

After Dorothy died, Bob “went into this deep depression and was a totally different person for two to three years,” according to his half-brother, Kent Valandra. Thankfully, he met Nancy some years later, and they would have a loving, long relationship that endured until his passing.