For 29 years, Pennington was a model on
The Price Is Right, handing the microphone to
Bob Barker at the start of more than 5,000 shows. She also worked with
Dennis James and
Tom Kennedy during the show's syndication runs in 1972–77 and 1985–86, respectively. During a 1976 syndicated episode, host Dennis James referred to the mountain-climber character in the
Cliff Hangers game as "Fritz", unaware that Pennington's husband had disappeared while mountain climbing the previous year. When the contestant lost and the character fell from the cliff, James shouted, "There goes Fritz!", prompting Pennington to run from the stage in tears. In June 1988, a camera struck Pennington during taping, rendering her unconscious. She was hospitalized, and taping resumed after 45 minutes. Surgery to address the injuries left her with one shoulder shorter than the other and scars, preventing her from wearing swimsuits on the show. A substitute model appeared during her recovery. Pennington's final appearance on
The Price Is Right was on the 13 December 2000 episode, following the show's acquisition by
Pearson Television earlier that year. She signed a confidential settlement agreement upon departure. Pennington and Barker were generally on amicable terms, unlike his relationships with other models who filed lawsuits against him. In a 2002 interview with
Larry King Live, Barker praised Pennington for her support during the sexual harassment allegations brought by fellow model
Dian Parkinson. During a
USA Today interview discussing his retirement, Barker described Pennington as "very brave" and expressed sympathy for her following her husband's disappearance, before requesting a change of topic. In an interview with
Entertainment Tonight after Barker's death in August 2023, Pennington said she had not spoken to him since her departure but expressed no ill will and reflected positively on her time on the show. == See also ==