Carol Burnett chose no other way to celebrate her 90th birthday than to do it on an NBC show which was titled “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love”.
At 90 years old, Carol Burnett has probably lost interest in blowing out birthday candles or cutting cakes and making a smear of it, as the pioneering host of CBS’ classic “The Carol Burnett Show” wanted a blowout TV special.
“Rather than a birthday bash or whatever with candles and balloons, I wanted a show like you haven’t seen in a long time, with a 19-piece orchestra, singers and wonderful music. I wanted a variety show,” says Burnett, “that’s why I wanted it this way.”
And her wish was granted as stars from Cher to Charlize Theron celebrated the icon with the special, filmed last month at the Avalon Hollywood Theater.
“Ninety is hard to wrap my head around because I don’t feel it. And 90 is a big number. Walking is good, and I’m very careful about what I eat,” Carol Burnett said about what keeps her so fit and going despite her old age.
Carol Burnett sat on a specially designated seat and enjoyed the moment with her long-time friend, 87-year-old Julie Andrews.
Burnett also said she received goodwill messages from first lady Jill Biden and former first lady Michelle Obama. However, she was quick to point out that she did not get any message from Donald Trump’s wife, Melania Trump.
“That was pretty shocking,” she said. “Melania has the same birthday as me. But she doesn’t have a comedy special.”
Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, and Kristn Chenoweth performed songs, while other comedians, including Amy Poehler, Ellen DeGeneres, Kristen Wiig, and Lisa Kudrow, hailed her outstanding career.
Carol Burnett also showed moments from her “The Carol Burnett Show,” which got 25 Emmy awards during the period it was aired on CBS from 1967-78. The timeless clips also featured Burnett with late co-stars Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, and Lyle Waggoner, who died in 2008, 2019, and 2020, respectively.
