The Guinness World Records recognised this as the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot–50,000 interviews over 6,120 shows over 25 years with CNN. In a December 1 appearance, Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin echoed many when he declared that there are many talented and interesting people in the US, but just one King. Anchors across the world have tried to walk the talk of Larry King. As he prepared to step off the famous set, the who?s who of American broadcasting were there to say thank you, to acknowledge themselves as his prot?g?s–ABC?s Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer, CBS?s Katie Couric and NBC?s Brian Williams. They presented him with a new pair of suspenders, as a tribute to his trademark style. As for the red ones he wore to the last show, King tweeted an hour before broadcast that they were a gift from Jon Bon Jovi.
The ratings of this 77- year-old have been dropping, his style going out of style. He lamented to the NYT, ?If you look at media now, all the hosts of these other shows are interviewing themselves.” What he claimed was a fair approach was beginning to look simply soft in a more aggressive TV context. What nobody can deny is that King got every American president from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama to sit next to him. Not to mention every celebrity from Frank Sinatra to OJ Simpson and Lady Gaga. The latter turned up in a button-up shirt, tie, sunglasses and sequinned suspenders. Our favourite part of the last show: King joshing Bill Clinton about being in the ?zipper club?.