Viral clip fuels renewed racism allegations about “The Price is Right” host Bob Barker

For decades, The price is right It was America’s favorite sick-day companion: smiling contestants, flashing lights, and at its center Bob Barker, the volunteer host who closed each episode urging viewers to “help control the pet population.” Off camera, the now former models say, the reality was far less helpful.

A new batch of E! Documentary series Dirty corruption scandals It revisits long-standing allegations of racism, discrimination, and retaliation during Parker’s 35-year tenure, consolidating claims that appeared in lawsuits and tabloid headlines into a more unified narrative.

Kathleen Bradley, the series’ first full-time black showrunner, recalls what she describes as a hostile environment on and off set. “Some fans were writing negative things about me being on the show,” she says of the series, adding that within production meetings, staff allegedly used racial slurs when models were not present.

Claudia Jordan, who joined a decade later, claims the culture persisted. In the documentary and circulating clips, she claims that the selection of contestants was racially coded: only a limited number of black contestants were allowed for each recording selected backstage. “That was a direct order from Bob Barker,” she says in the footage.

Jordan also describes stereotypes on set, noting that producers reduced them to racist tropes, while adding that black contestants who approached Parker would sometimes experience obvious discomfort.

Former “Parker beauties” go even further. Holly Hallstrom, who worked on the show for nearly two decades, claims she faced retaliation after she refused to support Parker in a sexual harassment case involving fellow model Diane Parkinson. She describes Parker as “cruel and extremely vindictive,” claiming that he sought to “destroy” employees who did not comply.

The docuseries also revisits previous allegations linking Parker to racially charged statements. Hallstrom recounts a moment in which Parker allegedly expressed his fear of interracial relationships, saying he believed black men were “the sickest people on Earth,” a statement the show cited as emblematic of the broader culture.

The renewed interest was also fueled by a viral clip from the show, in which Parker appears to pull away and move offstage as a black contestant approaches him for a hug. The moment went viral online as supposed evidence of bias. However, the passage itself does not establish intent or context. (A running joke on the show was that Samoan women liked to pick him up, so he would avoid them on stage.)

Parker, who died in 2023 at the age of 99, denied any wrongdoing during his lifetime. His longtime representative has hit back in response to the series, defending him as a beloved TV character and dismissing the accusations while emphasizing his reputation and legacy.

Parker was synonymous with animal rights advocacy. His daily approval of spaying and neutering pets became a cultural item, and his activism helped elevate issues such as animal overpopulation into the mainstream. He became a cult figure for PETA, which named buildings after him and petitioned to have entire Los Angeles streets renamed in his honor.

The price is right Today continues with Drew Carey as host, produced by Fremantle and broadcast on CBS, its home since 1972. Fremantle did not immediately respond to a request for comment.