The WORST Guests Johnny Carson Ever Had ht

Have you seen those little whisper things that people get who are just on the edge of going completely deaf where you hear something? I’m going to get you. >> I think it’s me. [laughter] >> Yeah, I think you’re losing it. >> Johnny Carson spent 30 years mastering the art of late night television. He could steer a dying conversation back to life and make even the dullst guest feel like the [music] most fascinating person alive.

The Tonight Show ran flawlessly most nights. Although 10 guests found the cracks in Johnny’s armor, they ignored the unspoken rules, [music] tested his patience, and turned the smoothest show on television into a war zone. Today, we’re covering the 10 personalities Johnny Carson reportedly [music] couldn’t stand.

Wayne Newton hated for physical assault. Johnny made several jokes about Wayne Newton over the years, taking shots at his hair, his clothes, and questioned [music] his masculinity. Newton hated this, so he stormed into the Tonight Show studio with his fists [music] in a ball, ready to throw down. He busted into the room without knocking and said this directly to Johnny.

>> I jumped in a car and I drove over to NBC and I walked into his office and he was there with his producer and whom I had known for a lot of years. And so I said to his producer, “Would you excuse us, please?” I confronted him and uh he turned pale and I told him what my intentions were.

He wouldn’t get up >> and so I smacked him. >> You really hit him? >> Yeah. >> Wow. Like how hard did you hit him? >> Would you like to see? >> No, I don’t want to see. [laughter] You really hit him, but >> I smacked him opened, you know, because I was so fed up with it. >> Carson, who rarely lost his composure, even off camera, immediately called for security after he slapped him.

Guards arrived within 60 seconds and escorted Wayne out of the building while producers watched in shock. NBC memos later circulated Newton’s photograph throughout the facility with the explicit order, prohibited from facility, no exceptions. That night, every mention of Newton was hastily cut from scripts.

Johnny was furious someone would treat him like this on his own turf. He made the final and absolute decision to ban him permanently. Wayne never set foot in the studio again during Carson’s 30-year reign. Johnny refused interviews about the incident for years, maintaining his usual discretion, but staffers whispered that Carson kept a copy of the security [music] tape in his desk drawer as a reminder that even Vegas royalty could not bully the king of late night.

Charles Groden, disliked for arrogance. Charles Groden cultivated a disrespectful persona that often mocked talk show conventions and frequently baited Carson into genuine frustration. He consistently argued with Johnny on live television, which Carson hated because it made him reveal his true emotions in ways he couldn’t control.

The infamous 1982 appearance showed Grouden refusing to discuss his new book, instead launching into an on-air tangent directly aimed at Carson for criticizing the book’s price. You know, when I tried to talk about my book in the hard cover, you said 1895, you know, that’s a lot of money for a book.

I said it’s my whole life. >> I thought it was. >> And you said, uh, you know, maybe if it’s Mother Teresa’s life, you know, >> you remember those things, don’t you? >> Yes, I do. >> You I didn’t know you were that sensitive. You actually remember that. >> I’m I’m so sensitive. I really can’t answer a question from someone who’s not interested in the question.

>> I’m very interested in the question. It’s >> all right. It’s okay. I’m used to Carson’s jaw visibly tightened. His replies grew annoyed and defensive. Producers in the booth scrambled to cut to commercial break early, signaling frantically to camera operators. >> Should have started out with 995 then.

This would have been 460 by now. >> I suppose the thing is to get it when you can. >> Are you whispering again? >> Oh, no. You said I’m whispering last time. >> Yeah, you you talk very softly for me. I don’t know why. >> Are you hearing me? >> This is what you sound like. Are you talking made a book? No.

>> Why? I think so. Have you seen those little whisper things that people get who are just on the edge of going completely deaf where you hear something? I’m going to get you. >> I think it’s me. >> Yeah, I think you’re losing it. >> Well, maybe it is me. And now you want to know why I mistreat you.

>> That’s right. Now people don’t people don’t understand when you come out here. >> Backstage after the show, Carson reportedly told his staff, “I book him to promote a film, and he turns it into a therapy session about my manners. That antagonistic style led to tense appearances that left everyone uncomfortable and at times a temporary blacklist from bookings.

” Groden thrived on creating discomfort, but Carson thrived on maintaining complete control of the show, making his appearances useless [music] to him. Dean Martin, disliked for drunkenness. Dean Martin’s drinking was supposed to be an act that made audiences laugh. But [music] on his Tonight Show appearances in the 70s, the line between character and reality blurred.

Martin arrived to tapings with a glass in hand, slurring through stories and losing track of questions. >> How you been, Joey? >> Hello. [laughter] >> Good to see you. How’d all these people get in your room? >> I know you’re going to ask me a question. I’m going to ask you a question. >> Well, you go ahead, Bernie. >> Did you uh >> you know, at home? [laughter] >> This This desk looks bigger.

> It is bigger at home. [laughter] >> What played as charming on his variety show felt uncomfortable on Carson’s stage. Carson tried to play along, but the timing was off. Martin would interrupt mid-segment, wander toward the band, or forget which movie he was promoting. >> Well, we’re going to come back in a minute.

I’d like to talk about your special. I have a I have a special. >> It’s coming up Sunday. This Sunday? >> Oh, is it? >> They actually put that thing together. >> I didn’t know that. I You said it the best. >> Staff kept extra time built in because Martin’s [music] segments ran unpredictable. During one 1978 appearance, Martin made an off-color remark about a female guest that forced producers to scramble.

Carson’s face panicked. He quickly cut to the commercial break. Sensors flagged multiple moments. [music] The audience laughed awkwardly, unsure if this was part of the bit. After taping, Johnny vented, “I can’t work like this. It’s not funny anymore.” Martin’s bookings became rare. His reputation as a professional had cracked.

Carson had built his show on sharp timing and control Martin’s drunk act, real or performed, was too messy for television. The Tonight Show needed precision, and Martin brought chaos. Yuri Geller, dislike for deception. Young Carson practiced card tricks in his Nebraska bedroom. No surprise, he eventually wanted the iconic Yuri Geller on his show in 1974.

He really wanted to test him and prove his legitimacy. He brought sealed canisters and a stone compass, items Geller had never touched before air. He walked on set, confident, flashing his famous grin. Johnny asked him to read texts tucked in stuffy envelopes. Geller tried for minutes, but couldn’t pull off the stunt he was bragging about showing off, resulting [music] in constant excuses.

>> You know, I’m surprised because before this program, your producer came and he read me please 40 questions you’re going to ask me. >> Well, I can ask you all kinds of questions if you like. If you’d like me to ask you questions. >> I have to have time and uh give me a little more time. >> All right.

Would you? No, we’re we’re going to we’ll cut away from a commercial and I will verify and everybody in the studio will verify that nobody will touch the objects. Okay. >> The audience went into uncomfortable silence. Johnny sat patiently for his next trick, then gave him the silverware. Geller grabbed it, stared hard, and squeezed the handle, but it did not bend.

Johnny raised an eyebrow without saying a word. Yuri blamed everything but himself for not being able to perform, unwilling to admit he was a phony. The segment lasted 20 agonizing minutes. Tonight Show producers ruled he would never return. Carson told them [music] he unmasked himself as a liar in front of millions on air. He did the damage himself.

Chevy Chase disliked for inappropriate insults. Chevy Chase made a fatal mistake in 1978. He confused being famous with being untouchable. His first Tonight Show visit two years earlier had gone smoothly. Light banter, respectful laughs, the kind of debut that gets you invited back. But by his second appearance, Saturday Night Live had made him a star, and [music] stardom made him reckless.

He walked onto the set like he owned it. Within minutes, he was bragging about box office numbers and comparing [music] his career trajectory to Carson’s. The audience laughed nervously. Carson’s smile stayed frozen. Then, Chase crossed the line nobody crosses. He made a joke about NBC needing fresh blood at 11:30, implying he was ready to step in whenever Johnny got tired.

The crew and the wings exchanged glances. Carson’s pencil tapped the desk until his staff knew meant trouble arising. Chase kept going oblivious. He talked over Carson’s questions, steered every answer back to himself, and casually mentioned he could probably outgolf and out host the [music] man whose chair he was sitting in.

By commercial break, the damage was done. Backstage after taping, Carson pulled producer Peter Lasali aside and made his feelings clear. Nobody [music] jokes about replacing him. Not on his stage, not in front of his audience. Chase got added to the list of guests who wore out their welcome. [music] Future bookings became rare and heavily scripted. The easy rapport vanished.

Carson never forgot. In private, he warned his staff that some bridges would stay burned. Frank Sinatra, disliked for on air interruptions. Frank Sinatra’s relationship with Carson was complicated. Power plays, diva behavior, and off- camerara friction made Carson wary. >> I grew up with you.

Listen to your music in high school and so forth. It just occurred to me. Crazy thought this afternoon. When you’re in a romantic mood and you’re trying to make out whose records do you put on, >> Sinatra had influence and moments of embarrassing Carson’s circle. Sinatra would storm on stage unannounced during breaks, disrupting Carson’s [music] careful flow.

One iconic night in 1976, Sinatra walked out mid-taping, sat next to the scheduled guest, and started telling stories. Carson smiled for the camera, but seethed inside. Control room staff scrambled. The planned segment fell apart. After the show, Carson made it clear Sinatra appearances required advanced choreography and strict boundaries.

Even then, Sinatra’s unpredictability kept Carson on edge. There was respect between them. Both were kings, but also weariness. Carson never fully trusted Sinatra not to hijack the show. Their encounters remained polite, but guarded. Joan Rivers, disliked for betrayal. Joan Rivers was Johnny’s golden guest for years.

[music] a comedian who could fill the chair when Carson took nights off. She understood his rhythms perfectly, [music] respected his authority, and delivered laughs without stepping on his toes. Johnny had discovered her, [music] mentored her, given her the breaks that transformed her from struggling comic into household name.

She appeared on Tonight more than any other guest host. Then in 1986, Rivers accepted a late night hosting job at Fox without telling Johnny first. She signed the contract, agreed [music] to compete directly against him, and never picked up the phone. He found out through industry gossip and a variety headline, not a proper phone call.

Carson felt personally betrayed. He believed she never properly told or apologized to him. He [music] interpreted it as disloyalty of the highest order. The woman he had mentored for over a decade. The comedian he had elevated from obscurity had stabbed him in the back by becoming competition.

Carson blacklisted her from tonight immediately. No discussion, no farewell appearance, no [music] chance to explain, just silence. Rivers tried reaching out desperately. letters sent to his home, calls through intermediaries, but Johnny refused every attempt. He never spoke to her again, not even years later, when her show failed.

Producers knew better [music] than to even suggest her name. The band lasted until Carson’s retirement in 1992, and beyond. [music] Rivers would later say publicly that the loss of Johnny’s friendship hurt more than any professional setback she ever experienced. For Carson, [music] loyalty was non-negotiable. She broke the code and there was no coming back from that kind of betrayal.

Liking the video [music] so far? Hit the subscribe button down below if so. Now on to the next guest. Fred Rogers disliked for awkwardness. Fred Rogers temperament was the opposite problem, a sanctity that broke show rhythm. His segment [music] moved at preschool cadence, long pauses, small audience interactions, and puppet demonstrations.

On stage, he would finish a thought and wait, leaving Carson no comedic beat. Producer watches showed timing slips of 20 to 30 seconds. The silence was dead air. Neielson data recorded a three-point audience decline. Carson, a master of pacing, found himself trapped in Roger’s gentle world. [music] There was no malice, just fundamental mismatch.

Carson concluded Rogers was incompatible with talk show [music] timing. His dislike was purely logistic, not personal. Rogers belonged on PBS, where patience was a virtue. On the Tonight Show, patience killed momentum. The bookings for him were reportedly cut staff marked Rogers as a no-go. Charlton H, disliked for yapping.

H’s style became an on-air filibuster. When Carson asked about stunts or chariots, H launched into multi-minute speeches. One 1987 appearance featured a 15-minute lecture on the American dream. The audience’s laugh density collapsed. Neielson tracking showed a significant drop.

Carson tried to interject, but H barreled forward, treating the couch like a podium. Producers watched the clock in horror as the segment bled into commercial time, silently counting how much show they were losing while two legends argued over nothing. The laughter sign above them might as well have gone dark on live television.

After that taping, Carson told Bookers, “Do not rebook. I can’t get a word in.” And the audience tunes out. H’s gravitas worked in epics, but late night demanded rhythm. Johnny could not stand him monopolizing airtime. It was a business and show dilemma, not a personal one. Orson Wells, disliked for talking too much.

Orson Wells’s grandiosity could rub Carson wrong. Though they shared mutual respect, Wells treated every anecdote like theater, complete with dramatic pauses and sweeping gestures. He would begin answering and [music] 20 minutes later still be midstory, weaving through tangents about European cinema and Shakespeare.

[music] Carson admired his genius, but grew exhausted. steering him back. One 1982 appearance saw Wells [music] consume the entire first segment, talking about wine, not movies, literally wine. Carson’s attempts to pivot were swatted away. Producers signaled desperately, but Wells was unstoppable.

He leaned back in his chair like a king, amused by a nervous servant, and kept talking, rolling over every question Johnny tried to ask. Stories spilled out in winding paragraphs about Europe, films, and debts. Johnny glanced at the band at the Q cards for an escape hatch, but there wasn’t one. The audience laughed, then quieted, realizing they were watching a takeover, not an interview.

Carson’s smile grew tighter, his timing useless against a guest who refused to breathe [music] between sentences. Every pause he reached for was swallowed before it began until he felt like an extra on his own show. After that taping, Carson told staff, “Book him sparingly. He’s brilliant, but he thinks he’s doing a one-man show.

” The respect remained, but so did Caution. Wells appeared occasionally afterward, but never without strict time limits on hand. Some stars who walked that Tonight Show stage violated [music] the unspoken rules of Johnny’s Kingdom. >> How you been, Joey? >> Hello. >> Should have started out with 995 then. This would have been 460 by now.

>> I suppose the thing is to get it when you can. >> Are you whispering again? >> I know. You said I’m whispering last time. >> Very You talk very softly for me. I don’t know why. Are you talking made a book? No. >> Why? I think so. Have you seen those little whisper things that people get who are just on the edge of going completely deaf where you hear something? I’m going to get >> You think it’s me? [laughter] >> Yeah, I think you’re losing it.

>> Well, maybe it is me and now you want to know why I mistreat you. >> That’s right. Now, people don’t people don’t understand when you come out here. >> I grew up with you listening to your music in high school and so forth. It just occurred to me. Crazy thought this afternoon.

When you’re in a romantic mood and you’re trying to make out whose records do you put on? >> Some disrespected the format. Others challenged his authority. A few simply could not function within the machine Carson had built. Whether through ego, incompetence or hostility. They pushed the king of late night past his carefully maintained cool Carson’s [music] genius was making it look effortless.

But that required guests who understood the dance. These 10 never learned the steps [music] or worse refused to follow them. The result was banishment from the most powerful desk in television. Johnny did not need to explain himself. The silence said everything. If you guys enjoyed the video, be sure to hit the subscribe button below for more deep dives like this. Hope to see you all next time.