We have already been given the reasons why Bob has decided to retire. However, are there some of you (like myself) who think there may be other reasons why Bob is retiring? I think there may be two other factors not being mentioned that may have led to this decision.
First, Freemantle may have "forced" Bob to retire so that they could aim for a younger audience with a younger host. Or, similarly, Freemantle may have forced Bob to retire because they felt it would be more difficult for TPIR if Bob died while he was still host (as opposed to having Bob leave TPIR while he is still alive). Regarding these speculations, I personally feel that such factors did not lead to Bob's retirement, since I believe that CBS and Freemantle were still 100% satisified with Bob and (for their own selfish reasons) wished he could have continued to host until he died.
Secondly, I suspect that Bob's health may have caused him to retire. Specifically, Bob may very well be suffering from a fatal illness or condition, and his doctors advised him to quit because he won't live much longer. Regarding this speculation, I feel that it is indeed the case: in other words, I believe that severly deteriorating health was the reason he decided to retire. And, quite frankly, I am extremely concerned about Bob's health, and concerned over how much longer he will live.
Honestly, I do not believe that Barker is the type of person who wants to retire because he is just "getting too old." If that was the case, he would have retired many years ago. Instead, some event beyond his control is forcing him to step down from a job that means everything to him.
Do you accept the reasons given for Barker's retirement at face value? Or, do you believe that some other factor--like pressure from Freemantle or rapidly deteriorating health--caused Bob to retire?
