Is there any personality in network news Katie Couric didn’t have beef with during her career as the perky and cheerful Today Show anchor on NBC?

Her new book is naming names, telling stories, and pulling no punches, and one of the more awkward tales is her date she went on with former CNN personality Larry King. 

Not exactly a love connection for the two. Want some details? 

Well, first off, here’s Katie explaining why she went out with King when she was in her late twenties.  “Larry was already a big player on and off screen, with a slew of ex-wives. A pretty fascinating character. I was eager to pick his brain.”

King left quite the impression on Couric during their dinner. And not exactly in a good way. “He ordered veal poached in chicken broth and ate it with gusto. Nothing gets a single gal’s juices flowing quite like a man slurping a heart-healthy dish and splattering it all over the napkin tucked into his collar!”

The most impressive thing about that story is the level of detail Couric remembers from something three and a half decades ago.  Most people don’t remember what they ate three days ago. 

So after being disgusted watching Larry eat, Couric agreed to go back to his place.  Sensing “a moment,” Larry decided to test the waters.  Here’s how Couric described what happened next. 

Mayday! Mayday! Dear Cosmo: My dinner date is an aging horn dog and he’s detouring me to his place. I was trying to figure out an exit strategy when suddenly — boom! The lunge. The tongue. The hands. The whole scene was such a cliche, I began to laugh and gently pushed him away.”

Apparently King got the hint, and got up to grab his keys and gave Couric a ride home.  Believe it or not, the two remained friends until King passed away. 

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