American talk show host Larry King dies age 87 after testing positive for Covid-19

Star Trek actor George Takei paid tribute saying: ‘You understood human triumph and frailty equally well.'
Michael Howie23 January 2021

American talk show host Larry King has died at the age of 87 weeks after he tested positive for the coronavirus

A statement announcing the news was tweeted from his account on Saturday.

It read: "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.

"Additionally, while it was his name appearing in the shows' titles, Larry always viewed his interview subjects as the true stars of his programs, and himself as merely an unbiased conduit between the guest and audience.

"Whether he was interviewing a US 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."

The TV star was taken to hospital in Los Angeles in late December after testing positive for coronavirus. No cause of death has been given.

The statement continued: "Larry's interviews from his 25-year run on CNN's 'Larry King Live,' and his Ora Media programs 'Larry King Now,' and 'Politicking with Larry King' are consistently referenced by media outlets around the world and remain part of the historical record of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. 

"Ora Media sends our condolences to his surviving children Larry, Jr, Chance, Cannon and the entire King family.

"Funeral arrangements and a memorial service will be announced later in coordination with the King family, who ask for their privacy at this time."

Star Trek actor George Takei was among the people paying tribute to Larry King following his death aged 87.

He tweeted: "Thanks for the countless interviews and insights, Larry King. You understood human triumph and frailty equally well, and that is no easy feat. There was no one else like you, and you shall be missed. Rest with the heavens now".

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in