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Bob Barker 'fine' with exclusion from 'Price is Right' 40th anniversary special

Ouch! It's been five years since Bob Barker retired as host of "The Price Is Right," and apparently for producers of TV's longest-running game show, out of sight meant out of mind when it came to putting on Tuesday's 40th anniversary special episode.Though Barker, 88, was seen in several show clips during the special, the former host was not invited to appear or attend the taping.PHOTOS: Bigg
Bob Barker in 2007.
Bob Barker in 2007.Damian Dovarganes / AP / Today

Ouch! It's been five years since Bob Barker retired as host of "The Price Is Right," and apparently for producers of TV's longest-running game show, out of sight meant out of mind when it came to putting on Tuesday's 40th anniversary special episode.

Though Barker, 88, was seen in several show clips during the special, the former host was not invited to appear or attend the taping.

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"When you celebrate a 40th anniversary, you would think you'd have the fellow who did the show for 35 years there," Barker told The Associated Press after Tuesday's episode aired. Comic and sitcom star Drew Carey, who took over for the retiring Barker in 2009, hosted the special, taped at CBS' Bob Barker studio.

Barker -- a tireless advocate against animal abuse who told viewers daily to "help control the pet population" -- believes he was not invited to participate because he has criticized the prizes awarded on the program, including tickets to Sea World and the Calgary Stampede, as "inappropriate."

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"We really became very careful about what we put on the show," Barker said, recalling an instance where he asked the program to stop awarding fur coats and leather jackets as prizes and they obliged. "Had I been the executive producer, they would not have even considered bringing me tickets to the Calgary Stampede of all things."

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Still, the legendary host insists he is OK with the snub. "(Producers) chose to ignore me, which is fine," he told the AP. "They haven't even offered me a DVD."

Do you think Barker should have been invited back for the special? Or were clips enough? Let us know what you think on Facebook!

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