Michael Parkinson's lasting regret over huge star who refused to speak to him

22 December 2023 , 19:50

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Sir Michael Parkinson was the king of chat shows before he sadly died at the age of 88 earlier this year.

The much-missed British broadcaster spoke to some of the most famous and impressive names in showbiz during his 50 years in television. He would devote an entire programme to each guest and delve into their life and career, including David Beckham, Muhammed Ali, Billy Connolly and David Attenborough.

Tonight, Parkinson: The Final Conversation airs on ITV and showcases some of Michael's favourite interviews - but there is one iconic celebrity that he never had the opportunity to sit down with.

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Sir Michael Parkinson sadly died earlier this year at the age of 88 (BBC)

During an appearance on BBC Breakfast, the journalist and presenter opened up about not getting his time with American singer Frank Sinatra, as well as Australian cricket player Sir Don Bradman. When asked who his 'holy grail' interviewee would be, Michael quickly uttered the famous music artist's name.

They came face-to-face at a party where a mutual friend tried his best to set Michael up with an interview, but it didn't go to plan. "When I met Sinatra, [musician] Sammy Carr said, 'Meet Mike Parkinson, he does a great talk show'... all that sort of thing," he said.

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"Then I wandered around, Sammy went off somewhere else, I wandered around but didn't know anyone but me and Frank Sinatra. I said, 'I'm leaving now Mr Sinatra, but it was nice to have met you and hopefully I'll see you in London'. He said, 'Sure thing, David!', I thought 'I've really made a mark here'."

Michael Parkinson's lasting regret over huge star who refused to speak to him

Michael interviewed the biggest names in showbiz during his five-decade-long career in TV (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)

Musician Frank Sinatra was the one celebrity that Michael wished he had interviewed (AFP/Getty Images)

Michael looked back on the moment with humour and chuckled, explaining that Frank must have become confused during their interaction. Despite never getting the chance to speak one-on-one with the singer, Michael was proud of his achievements.

Michael's family shared the sad news of his death in a heartbreaking statement on August 16, 2023. They said: "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."

In September, the TV legend's cause of death was revealed, with his death certificate stating he had died of 'frailty of old age'. Ten years before his death, Michael was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013. At the time of his diagnosis, he gave an interview explaining that it had come as a "great shock,” but he was expected to make a "full recovery".

He explained: "The cancer specialist said, 'I will assure you, you will not die of this'." After two years of treatment, he was given the all-clear in 2015. That same year, he also became a patron of Yorkshire Cancer Research. "When I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I was shocked. But the doctors were very positive, and I soon had a good treatment plan in place which put me at ease," he shared.