Appearing on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," TV icon Carol Burnett shared a hilarious memory from her time on "The Ed Sullivan Show," where she once preceded Elvis Presley. Burnett recounted how, despite her own talents, the audience was restless, eagerly awaiting the appearance of the King himself. "Nobody wanted to see me," she laughed, as the crowd chanted, "'Elvis! Where the hell is Elvis? We want to see Elvis!'" It was a tough act to follow, but Burnett took it in stride, eventually meeting Presley and finding him to be "very sweet."
Burnett's storied career has seen her on "The Ed Sullivan Show" seven times, a fact that even surprised her. Her own variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show," was a hit from 1967 to 1978, showcasing her comedic genius.
During her chat with Colbert, Burnett also reminisced about a memorable appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." Nervous about being a guest, she decided to play a prank on Carson by giving monosyllabic answers to his questions. "He started asking all kinds of interesting questions, to which I could just say, 'Maybe. No,'" she chuckled.
One of Burnett's most unforgettable TV moments was performing a song on "Jack Paar" and "Ed Sullivan" shows called "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles," where she humorously imagined a girl infatuated with the "dull" U.S. secretary of state, akin to the adoration most girls had for Presley. The performance caused quite a stir, making front-page news at the time.
Burnett's latest role is in "Palm Royale," where she stars alongside Kristen Wiig, adding another chapter to her remarkable six-decade television career.
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