He died in hospital this morning, his Ora Media company said. The cause of death was not announced, but he had been in hospital for several weeks being treated for Covid-19.

His death comes after years of health problems that plagued the star including battles with lung and prostate cancer. He also survived a heart attack in 1987 and a near-fatal stroke in 2019, that had left him in a coma for weeks.

King had come to fame with the Larry King Show on radio, which ran from 1978 until 1994, winning him a coveted Peabody Award in 1982, and started Larry King Live on CNN in 1985 which propelled him to a new level of fame.

The show which became a US TV staple covered a broad range of topics from current affairs to wacky conspiracy theories.

King stepped down in 2010 and Piers Morgan’s talk show took over the time slot. He signed off his final show, saying: “I don’t know what to say except to you, my audience, thank you. And instead of goodbye, how about so long.”

King was married eight times, and had five children, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Two of his children, daughter Chaia and son Andy, both died within three weeks of each other last year.