Veteran US talk show host Larry King dies aged 87

Dhaka: The giant US broadcaster Larry King who earned global fame for interviewing political leaders and celebrities has died today at the age of 87.

He died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Ora Media, a production company he co-founded. Earlier this month, he was treated in hospital for Covid-19, US media reports stated.

The talk show host, famous for his braces and rolled-up sleeves, had faced several health problems in recent years, including heart attacks.

King was married eight times to seven women and had five children. Two of them died last year within weeks of each other - daughter Chaia died from lung cancer and son Andy of a heart attack.

The veteran media personality conducted an estimated 50,000 interviews in his six-decade career, which included 25 years as host of the popular CNN talk show Larry King Live.

"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," Ora Media said in a statement, without giving the cause of death.

King carried out interviews with every US president from Gerald Ford to Barack Obama. His other high-profile guests included Dr. Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, and Lady Gaga.