Legendary BBC chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson dies aged 88

Sir Michael Parkinson has died at the age of 88.

A statement from his family to the BBC read: ‘After a brief illness Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family.

‘The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.’

Throughout his illustrious career, Sir Michael interviewed some of the most famous people in the world, including Ingrid Bergmann, Fred Astair, Lauren Bacall, Sir Elton John, Muhammad Ali and Meg Ryan, to name a few.

He fronted his own BBC chat show Parkinson from 1971 to 1982 and then from 1998 to 2007, with the programme switching to ITV for its final three years.

In 2013, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and was undergoing radiotherapy.

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Speaking about his diagnosis at the time, he told PA: ‘It was a great shock, but I have been told to expect to make a full recovery.’

Sir Michael filmed hundreds of episodes of his talk show, and retired from his Sunday morning Radio 2 programme in 2007, the same year that the TV series came to an end.

Born on March 28 1935 in the village of Cudworth, Sir Michael attended Barnsley Grammar School before embarking on his career as a journalist, working for publications including the Manchester Guardian and the Daily Express.

His first TV job was as a producer at Granada, before he made a move to Thames TV ahead of the launch of his titular show.

During the final episode of Parkinson in 2007, the host welcomed guests including David Beckham, Sir Michael Caine, Sir David Attenborough, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Edna Everage, Sir Billy Connolly, Peter Kay and Jamie Callum.

Speaking on his final episode, Sir Michael said: ‘Over the years it has been a privilege to meet some of the most intelligent and interesting people. It has always been a great joy and I shall miss it.’

The broadcaster received his knighthood by the late Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace the following year.

He admitted that he ‘never expected to be knighted’, quipping at the time: ‘I never expected to be knighted – I thought there was more chance of me turning into a Martian really.’

Sir Michael married his wife Mary Heneghan in 1959 and the couple had three children together.

High-profile figures including Eddie Izzard, Gyles Brandreth and Elaine Paige have paid tribute to the late TV icon, with Paige describing him as a ‘legendary interviewer’.

‘Such very sad breaking news that Sir Michael Parkinson has died,’ she wrote, sharing a picture of them together on X, formerly known as Twitter.

‘Have known him for many years, sang on his TV chat show & attended many events with him.

‘A legendary interviewer that will be remembered as the best of his profession. We will never see his like again.’

Izzard said that the late star was the ‘king of the intelligent interview’, adding: ‘Very sad to hear that Michael Parkinson has left us. He was the king of the intelligent interview.’

Broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth said that Sir Michael was ‘one of my heroes” ‘in a moving post on social media.’, writing on social media: ‘They were chat shows, of course – but they were mjuch (sic) more than that: they were truly engaging conversations that brought out the best in his guests.

‘And what an array of guests. ‘Parky’ was one of my heroes – and a lovely guy. A privilege to have known and worked with him.’

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer wrote that Sir Michael was a ‘broadcasting giant who set a gold standard for the television interview’.

‘He spent his life entertaining millions of us with his Saturday night talk show & was one of our most treasured TV personalities,’ the politician said.

‘My thoughts are with Michael’s family & friends.’

The BBC’s director-general Tim Davie offered his condolences, writing in a statement: ‘Michael was the king of the chat show and he defined the format for all the presenters and shows that followed.

‘He interviewed the biggest stars of the 20th century and did so in a way that enthralled the public. Michael was not only brilliant at asking questions, he was also a wonderful listener.

‘Michael was truly one of a kind, an incredible broadcaster and journalist who will be hugely missed.’

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