Ryan Seacrest Remembers Larry King, Recalls First Meeting His Idol: Listen

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Legendary TV, radio and journalist Larry King passed away on January 23 at the age of 87. Ryan Seacrest remembered the icon on-air on Monday, January 25, and shared when he first met his idol, who became a dear friend and mentor.

The broadcasting legend passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after battling COVID-19.

“He was super generous,” Seacrest shared on-air. “He was one of the funniest guys I’d ever met. … This man did a one-hour live show every night with foreign leaders, celebrities, the OJ Simpson chase and then OJ called in through his show — he covered everything,” Seacrest reflected. “… And I had asked him, I said basically I’m watching a radio show on TV, … and he said that’s exactly what it is because there’s an intimacy. … And he read the newspapers, but he did not overly prepare because he wanted to be naturally curious,” Seacrest continued. “What struck me about his questioning was he could pick the right question to ask with precision and it’s only four or five words. … Larry cut to the chase.”

Seacrest shared that he met King at the airport when he first started his American Idol career.

“I was terrified,” Seacrest recalled of approaching Larry at the time. “… We bonded over being on [the radio] … and at the end of the flight he came to my seat — I just met him that day — and he said, ‘Hey I’m going on vacation in two weeks I want you to fill in for me on CNN.’”

Listen back to hear the full story above to find out what happened next and for more from Seacrest as he remembers his beloved mentor.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Larry King’s family, friends and fans.


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