For years, The Carol Burnett Show was a must-watch program. The hilarious host would feature funny skits as well as interviews with A-list stars. But there was one guest that rubbed Burnett the wrong way. This guest was the only person who appeared on the show for an interview that Burnett did not enjoy working with, and that was because the person was a “belligerent little SOB.”
The Carol Burnett Show was a sketch comedy program that entertained fans for years. Burnett and the other cast members worked together so well the content on the program would simply not grow old. Instead, people continued tuning in to the program to see what Burnett and her cronies were up to that time around. And there were always interesting interviews with celebrities and stars from the world of film, TV, and other forms of entertainment.
Burnett wrote about her experience on the show in her 2016 memoir, entitled “In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox.” Although most guests were a delight to work with, there was one person who just stood out like a stick in the mud.
“During our 11-year run, there was only one guest who was a royal pain,” she wrote in her book. “I won’t name him, but he wasn’t a happy camper from the get-go. We tried to accommodate him at every turn but to no avail.”
Not only did this guest rub Burnett’s staff the wrong way, but he was also a horrible interview subject when speaking to Burnett. Instead of the usual give-and-take, this person (who shall not be named) wanted to take, take, take.
As it turned out, the man put Burnett and her staff through the races for no good reason. The guest did not even show up when it was time to film.
“We later learned he was ‘on’ something, which might’ve explained his orneriness,” she wrote. “At any rate, it came as no surprise when he simply decided to walk the day before we were to tape the show.”
Burnett did not have much sympathy for the man despite his apparent drug-abuse problems. Because he had made a commitment to be on her show – only to bail last minute – she would never forget it.
“He was a belligerent little SOB,” Burnett recalled. “I say ‘little’ because he was very short, which prompted one of our writers to label him ’a pony’s ass’.”
Although Burnett would have given the guest’s name – it was so long ago after all – she has tact and is a professional. While that guest might have spilled all the beans, Burnett had too much class to do that – even if the guest was the worst one on her show’s long tenure.
While this one guest mucked up the filming for that one episode, Burnett had a lot better luck with all of her other guests. Most people were a delight to work with and helped make her show as memorable as it is to this day.
Did you watch the Carol Burnett Show while it was on the air?