Sir Michael Parkinson, legendary British chat show host, dies aged 88

Legendary broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has died at the age of 88.

The news was confirmed in a statement from his family.

“After a brief illness Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family,” they said.

“The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.”

Parkinson’s illustrious career on television saw him interview many of the world’s highest-profile figures over seven decades.

Muhammad Ali, Sir Elton John, Madonna, Sir Michael Caine, John Lennon and Orson Welles were among the names to have appeared on Parkinson’s series.

Parkinson, the presenter’s flagship talk show, ran for 11 years on the BBC starting in 1971. It was later revived in 1998, ending in 2007.

After retiring from presenting in that year, Parkinson returned to the airwaves in 2012 for the Sky Arts series Parkinson: Masterclass.

He also hosted the BBC’s famous radio series Desert Island Discs between 1986 and 1988, following the death of creator Roy Plomley.

Parkinson was born in Cudworth, South Yorkshire, in 1935, and was the son of a miner.

His career started in local journalism, where he had a job collating sports results. A two-year stint in the military beginning in 1955, around the time of the Suez crisis, saw him become what was then the youngest captain in the British army. This was followed by jobs at The Manchester Guardian and The Daily Express before he pivoted to TV, with roles at Granada and the BBC.

After Parkinson finished its first run in 1982, Parkinson presented a short-lived Sunday morning programme for ITV. His other projects included ITV’s Give Us a Clue and BBC One’s Going For a Song.

In 2008, Parkinson was made a Knight Bachelor in the annual New Year’s Honours list.

Across his career, Parkinson conducted a raft of memorable interviews. When boxer Ali appeared on Parkinson in 1971, he shared a powerful message about racism that still resonated with audiences decades later.

Some of his interviews became notorious for more unfortunate reasons, such as an infamous sit-down with Dame Helen Mirren in 1975. In the footage, Parkinson controversially asked the actor if her physical attributes had “hindered” her career. Mirren responded bluntly to the question, asking him: “Because serious actresses can’t have big bosoms, is that what you mean?”

Parkinson reflected on the incident in a 2017 interview with The Telegraph. “That whole fuss was silly,” he said. “You have to consider every situation according to the mood of the time, and at the time I didn’t cause a ripple. We had a row but nobody considered me unduly sexist. But now some people are making out it was like World War Three.”

An interview with Meg Ryan in 2003 also made headlines, when the actor went on Parkinson to promote her divisive erotic thriller In the Cut. After Parkinson appeared to criticise Ryan’s involvement in the film, Ryan asked him to “wrap it up” and cut the interview short.

Parkinson apologised to the When Harry Met Sally star in 2021, admitting: “I wish I hadn’t lost my temper with Meg Ryan. I wish I’d dealt with it in a more courteous manner. I was quite obviously angry with her and it’s not my business to be angry towards the guests. I came across as kind of pompous and I could have done better.”

Over the course of his life, Parkinson estimated that he interview 2,000 celebrities. He once described the chat show format as “an unnatural act between consenting adults in public”.

Parkinson was an avid cricket fan throughout his life, and played to a high level in his younger days.

Reflecting on the changing nature of TV interviews today in 2021, Parkinson praised Graham Norton, and remarked to the Radio Times: “In this ultra-sensitive world, I doubt I could actually do an interview nowadays without being sent off. There are so many pitfalls and booby traps in life now. I think I had the best of it.”

In a tribute, BBC presenter Nick Robinson tweeted: “He was the greatest interviewer of our age who owned Saturday night TV for year after year.”

BBC director-general Tim Davie also honoured the presenter 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 said.

“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.”

Comedian and TV personality Eddie Izzard wrote: “Very sad to hear that Michael Parkinson has left us. He was the king of the intelligent interview.”

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