Jimmy Kimmel couldn’t mask his sadness after hearing about the death of comedian Don Rickles on Thursday.

“I’m going to tell you upfront, I’m going to cry, I’m already crying, which is embarrassing,” Kimmel started Friday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “I’m not good at this sort of thing.”

And true to his word, Kimmel was tearing up.

“He was 90 years old,” the host continued. “And I know it’s crazy to say he was too young. But he was because he was youthful and funny and sharp and generous. And I was fortunate enough to not only have Don on this show as my guest, but also to become close to him and his wife, Barbara, which was a lot of fun for me.”

After explaining how much he looked up to Rickles as a kid growing up in Las Vegas, the host shared several stories about the late comedian, including his being able to book Rickles for the first time on his birthday in 2006.

“It was exciting,” Kimmel said. “It was like I was in some talk-show host fantasy camp, sitting behind a desk while Don Rickles made fun of me. It was like being a real talk-show host for a minute.”

According to Kimmel, Rickles made a total of 18 appearances on the show. The show put together a video tribute of the famous insult comedian’s guesting on it.

Watch the tribute below:

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