Larry King's Monday night Friars Club "testimonial dinner" was meant to be a toast, not a roast. But with Kathy Griffin and Joan Rivers attending, what did he expect?
"It's going to be a roast for sure," Griffin told me at the event. "I can't believe that Larry put me on his live show years ago. What was CNN thinking? He is the best and one of a kind. He is always trying to set me up with his friends from the deli."
Griffin made a little news herself that night, telling me that Anderson Cooper and CNN have invited her back to co-host "New Year's Eve Live" from Times Square, before adding that she thought King was very sexy.
"Of course it's going to be a roast," Rivers laughed as she walked the red carpet. "His suspenders are holding up his dignity." However, even Rivers confessed she had a soft spot for the broadcasting legend. She said, "The best thing about old Jewish men is they no longer have their mothers."
Katie Couric, who played the role of emcee, had the task of walking the fine line between roast and toast.
"It's going to be a toast, but a little bit naughty," the news anchor told me. "Larry is one of a kind and I want to make sure he has the perfect night."
