Search icon

Television

23rd Jan 2021

Veteran US talk show host Larry King has died, aged 87

Wil Jones

Legendary US talk show host Larry King has died at the age of 87

Larry King had been taken to hospital in December, following a positive test for Covid-19. His passing was announced on King’s official Twitter account.

“For 63 years, and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interviews, awards and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster,” read the statement.

“Whether he was interviewing a U.S. president, foreign leader, celebrity, scandal-ridden personage, or an everyman, Larry liked to ask short, direct and uncomplicated questions. He believed concise questions usually provided the best answers, and he was not wrong in that belief.”

Larry King came to fame in the 1970s, with his syndicated US radio programme The Larry King Show.

King the went on to host Larry King Live on CNN from 1985 to 2010, interviewing everyone from politicians to pop stars.

He a became pop culture figure, and a shorthand for TV interviews, having cameos in everything from Shrek to Ghostbusters, usually playing a variation of himself.

In a 2014 podcast, Kin was asked what he would like his legacy to be. He responded: “His life led to more people having information that they didn’t have before, and he taught us a lot and we learned a lot and enjoyed it at the same time. He brought a great deal of pride to his business.”

Topics: