Drew Carey New Host of 'The Price Is Right'

July 24, 2007 — -- The long-awaited answer to the biggest question in daytime television is "Who will take over the 'The Price Is Right'?"

The new host answered that question Monday night on "The Late Show With David Letterman," almost as an afterthought.

"It was like 15 minutes ago, they called me, it's a done deal," comedian Drew Carey said. "I'm the new host of 'The Price Is Right.'"

Carey takes on the daunting task of trying to fill the void left by the legendary Bob Barker.

Barker retired last month after 35 years, but only after making "The Price Is Right" the longest-running game show in American history.

Carey, 49, is well known to television audiences from the ABC hit that bore his name and the comedy improve show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"

The choice ends an awful lot of speculation, including the rumor that the controversial former co-host of "The View" Rosie O'Donnell would become the new host. But ultimately CBS decided Carey was the one who should "come on down."

Asked whether he found the prospect of replacing such a TV legend daunting, Carey told Letterman about talking to a friend who knows the game-show business and told him, "As long as Bob Barker is cool with it, the fans will be cool with it."

"I'm cool with it," Barker told The Associated Press after hearing Carey's remarks.

The two have never met, but Barker offered some advice for Carey: "Go out there and do that show the way you think it should be done. Don't imitate me and don't imitate anyone else."