The greatest talk show hosts of all time

It's hard to define what Oprah Winfrey is to the world. Her daily show was one of the most popular talk shows of all time, and ran for 26 years. She earned the respect of her viewers by vowing to avoid tabloid topics on her show in an era where talk shows were becoming increasingly trashy and exploitative.

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Oprah Winfrey - It's not an exaggeration to say that Oprah is a kind of spirit guide or life coach to millions. Her success has been meteoric, as she went on to become a media mogul and billionaire philanthropist!

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Jack Paar -

Jack Paar was the first ever king of late-night television. He began hosting 'The Tonight Show' in 1957, where he displayed an authenticity that was rare for the era. He cried on air, spoke about politics, and once kicked Mickey Rooney off the show for misbehaving!

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Johnny Carson -

Johnny Carson was the center of American culture during his 30-year-reign as late-night king. He made it all look effortless, and all those who came afterwards credit him as one of the best.

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Joan Rivers -

The outrageous, late Joan Rivers had been appearing on talk shows since 1965. She got her start by guest hosting 'The Tonight Show' for Johnny Carson, and made her name with her wonderfully vulgar humor. She became the first ever female late-night talk show host in 1986 when Fox gave her 'The Late Show with Joan Rivers.' She is still one of only a handful of women to earn such a role.

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David Letterman - David Letterman is one of the all-time greats. He started out as a stand-up comedian and went on to host some of the top shows for decades. He developed an interview style that keeps getting better with age (partly because he's stopped agitating his guests so much).

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Stephen Colbert -

Stephen Colbert worked some kind of comedic magic in creating his conservative TV host caricature that was both pompous and loveable, and would run successfully almost every day for 10 years. When 'The Colbert Report' ended, he went on to inherit ' The Late Show' from David Letterman.

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Jon Stewart -

Jon Stewart is another host who has roots in stand-up comedy. He started out on MTV but couldn't muster the will to care about celebrities and pop culture. His skills truly shined when he was given 'The Daily Show' in 1999, which he hosted until 2015.

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Jay Leno -

Jay Leno is one of the best known and most successful talk show hosts of all time. He started out as a masterful stand-up comedian, and many of his contemporaries felt he sold out when he started hosting and made his humor more generic. However, no one can deny his success.

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Conan O’Brien - Conan O’Brien is the startlingly successful oddball of late-night TV. His career has had ups and downs, but hey, he's still on the air! His most recent talk show 'Conan' ran for 11 years, but these days he's more celebrated for his comedy travel show and range of podcasts.

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Jimmy Fallon - Jimmy Fallon completely renewed the late-night talk show by tapping into the mind of the modern audience. He's there to entertain rather than attack his guests with hard-hitting questions. He usually has them engage in ridiculous activities instead!

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Jimmy Kimmel -

Jimmy Kimmel has the easy-going presence of the average guy. He's reliably funny and occasionally sharp-witted. He's been hosting his own show 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' since 2003.

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Seth Meyers -

Seth Meyers was a head writer for 'Saturday Night Live' during some of its strongest years, and he brought that same humor to his hosting spot on 'Late Night.' He's always ready with a sharp comeback when interviewing his guests.

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Ellen DeGeneres -

Ellen DeGeneres is a host who makes her viewers feel like her best friends. They keep coming back for their daily hug! Her reputation was rocked in 2020, but her dedication to promoting kindness on her show has only been strengthened.

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Howard Stern -

Howard Stern is one of the most controversial hosts in history, but he's also one of the best. He refuses to adhere to any kind of social norms on his shows, and that's why fans adore him. He has no time for phonies, and has an incredible skill for making celebrities talk about subjects they'd rather avoid.

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Bill Maher -

Bill Maher is a host and comedian who isn't afraid to upset people. He speaks the harsh truth as he sees it. This has gotten him hired and fired, but finally he landed 'Real Time with Bill Maher' on HBO.

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Arsenio Hall -

The 'Arsenio Hall Show' was the first late-night talk show hosted by an African-American man, and it was a raging success. Hall had presidential candidate Bill Clinton on the show, who famously played the sax in sunglasses and a suit. Clinton jokingly credits Hall with getting him elected thanks to his influence over the youth demographic.

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Barbara Walters -

Barbara Walters was one of the early female authorities on TV hosting. She began hosting 'The Today Show' in 1974 and became one of the most respected interviewers of her time. She was also well-known as a long-time host on 'The View.'

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Phil Donahue -

Oprah has credited Phil Donahue with paving the way for her show's success. Donahue's daytime talk show ran from 1970 to 1996. Knowing his audience, Donahue took women's issues seriously, as well as tackling a wide range of difficult topics. He addressed race, sexuality, and most famously, the abuse scandals within the Catholic Church.

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Meredith Vieira -

Meredith Vieira is a journalist and TV host who has been broadcasting for more than 20 years. She is best known as a co-host on 'The View' (1997-2006) and for hosting 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' (2002-2013), as well as many morning news programs. She also briefly had her own talk show.

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Tom Snyder -

Tom Snyder was an acerbic but well-respected presence on late-night TV. He was equally gruff with all of his guests, whether he was speaking to John Lennon or Charles Manson. When speaking to the latter, he told him to "stop the hogwash."

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Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford -

Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford were the loveable, good-natured morning show dream team. 'Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee' was famed for the natural banter between the hosts and ran for more than 20 years, becoming a bedrock of morning TV. Sadly, Philbin passed away in July 2020. As for his TV partner, she went on to co-host 'Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda.'

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Merv Griffin -

Merv Griffin was the host of CBS' first ever late-night talk show in 1969, although they fired him within a few years for his controversial guests. He then started 'The Merv Griffin Show,' which ran for 21 years. He went on to become a media mogul, creating the shows 'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel of Fortune.'

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Craig Kilborn -

Craig Kilborn was the first ever host of 'The Daily Show' in the 1990s, and he went on to host 'The Late Late Show' for five years. When he hosted, he put on an obtuse frat boy persona that played well with audiences, although many wondered if it was really just an act...

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Mike Douglas -

Mike Douglas was a 1950s crooner and big band leader turned daytime TV host. He was the picture of Middle American values, but he allowed his platform to be a medium to expose Middle America to social issues and progressive politics. He hosted shows with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Bobby Seale of the Black Panthers, and anti-war activist Jerry Rubin.

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Terry Gross -

Terry Gross has been hosting the NPR show 'Fresh Air' since 1975! But guests beware: she does not pull punches. Gross is always prepared, always asks the hard questions, and isn't afraid to get into a heated debate.

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Morton Downey Jr. -

Morton Downey Jr. is neither reputable nor distinguished, but he is credited with being the pioneer of trash TV. His outrageously offensive show was so over the top that it did attract a particular following, described by Vulture as "angry, working-class whites." He was more hated than he was beloved, but the phenomenon of his short-lived success had a lasting impact on the world of television.

Sources: (Vulture) (Business Insider) (Cinema Blend)

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The greatest talk show hosts of all time

In honor of the late legend, Larry King

26/01/21 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Tv

A new generation of talk show hosts are starting to take center stage. Youngsters like Noah Trevor and James Corden are picking up some of the prime spots on late night and daytime television. While it's great to have a new perspective, we can't forget about the legends who created the art of the celebrity interview and made talk shows what they are today.

From Johnny Carson to Ellen DeGeneres, there are dozens of hosts who paved the way and whose influence will never be forgotten. Click through this gallery to see the greatest talk show hosts of all time.