Larry King announced Tuesday he is pulling the plug on his nightly U.S. chat show "Larry King Live" on CNN but will not go off the air altogether.
ADVERTISEMENT
King revealed his plans in a statement posted on his CNN blog, noting his decision came 25 years after his first show on CNN, featuring New York Gov. Mario Cuomo as his guest.
"Now, decades later, I talked to the guys here at CNN and I told them I would like to end 'Larry King Live,' the nightly show, this fall and CNN has graciously accepted, giving me more time for my wife and I to get to the kids' Little League games," King said.
The announcement said King would remain "a part of the CNN family" and would host specials "on major national and international subjects."
King said he was "incredibly proud" that Guinness World Records recently recognized "Larry King Live" as the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot.
"With this chapter closing, I'm looking forward to the future and what my next chapter will bring. But for now it's time to hang up my nightly suspenders," King said.
Among other things, King is known for his extensive collection of colorful suspenders.
The 76-year-old television icon has been in the spotlight recently more because of his marital problems with his seventh wife Shawn than for his interviews. The couple filed for divorce, then rescinded the paperwork, explaining they planned to try and work things out.
King's announcement follows weeks of rumors claiming the Emmy and Peabody award-winning host is leaving and British TV personality Piers Morgan is in line to replace him. CNN has previously declined to comment on the possibility of a show starring Morgan.