Sir Michael Parkinson dies as family shares heartbreaking statement
Sir Michael Parkinson has died aged 88 after a short illness. The celebrated British broadcaster and journalist died eight years after receiving the all-clear following treatment for prostate cancer.
His family confirmed the sad news in a heartbreaking statement: "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."
He was one of the country’s most legendary TV interviewers, known for doing painstaking research and asking his famous guests all the right questions. Michael was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013 and received the “all-clear” from doctors in summer 2015 following two years of treatment.
Among those paying tribute to the TV legend today was the BBC's director-general Tim Davie, who hailed Parkinson as "the king of the chat show” and an “incredible broadcaster and journalist”. He said: said: “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.”
ITV's political editor Nick Robinson also paid tribute to his former BBC colleague, writing: "He was the greatest interviewer of our age who owned Saturday night TV for year after year. Michael Parkinson - king of the chat show - has died." While Lord Sugar tweeted: "Very sad news on the passing of Michael Parkinson . End of a era RIP."
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Former BBC newsreader India Willoughby also shared a touching anecdote about the time she met Parkinson in the 80s, writing: "V sad to hear about Michael Parkinson. When I was doing my journalism training, he came to give us a talk at Stradbroke College (later Richmond College) in Sheffield. Mid 1980s. All in awe of him. Said was the best job in the world. Well for a time, you WERE the best. RIP Parky
Sir Michael Parkinson has died aged 88
Parkinson at home in Berkshire in 1981 (Mirrorpix)British singer and actress Elaine Paige paid tribute to Sir Michael Parkinson describing him as a “legendary interviewer”. Sharing a picture of the pair on X, formerly Twitter, she said: “Such very sad breaking news that Sir Michael Parkinson has died. 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.”
While Eamonn Holmes wrote: "Parky . King of The Chat Show Hosts . A privilege to know him on and off screen and to learn from him . They don't make them like that anymore. Rip Sir Michael Parkinson."
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer tweeted: "He spent his life entertaining millions of us with his Saturday night talk show & was one of our most treasured TV personalities. My thoughts are with Michael’s family & friends.”
BAFTA also paid tribute to Parkinson, who won one of their acollades in 1999 for Best Entertainment Performance. They wrote: "We’re saddened to hear that presenter and chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson has died age 88. Parkinson’s TV career spanned seven-decades and saw him interview the world’s biggest stars on his long-running chat show Parkinson, for which he won a BAFTA in 1999."
Stephen Fry recalled being interviewed with Parkinson, hailing it as "impossibly thrilling" as he shared his sadness at the TV host's death on Instagram. He wrote: “The genius of Parky was that (unlike most people (and most of his guests, me included) he was always 100% himself. On camera and off. 'Authentic' is the word I suppose. For one of the shows I was on with Robin Williams, a genius of unimagidear nable comic speed and brilliance. Now they’re both gone. One should get used to the parade of people constantly falling off the edge, but frankly one doesn’t. So long #parky."
Broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth said Parkinson was “one of my heroes” in a moving post on social media. He tweeted: “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.”
Parkinson's beloved Yorkshire County Cricket Club also paid tribute to the TV star, who was a lifelong cricket fan, with his childhood dreams of playing cricket for Yorkshire dashed when he left school aged 16 and instead began working at a local paper. On Twitter, the club wrote: “Everyone at Yorkshire Cricket is saddened to learn of the passing of Sir Michael Parkinson. The thoughts of everyone at the Club are with Sir Michael’s family and friends.”
While former cricket umpire Dickie Bird - who opened the batting for Barnsley Cricket Club with Parkinson and remained friends with him for decades - paid tribute to his "dear friend", writing: “I shall miss him, I’ll tell you that. Not only was he a friend but he was a dear friend and I just don’t know how I will cope, I will miss him so much. There will never be another Parky. We were so, so close. His friendship meant more to me than anything else. It meant so much to me. Our friendship, if I wanted any advice I would ring Parky up. He helped me in so many, many ways. Our friendship was so close. Our friendship will always stand. To me he will always be my closest friend and my dearest friend."
Barnsley FC said the club had "lost one of its favourite sons" following the TV host's death. The club tweeted: “Barnsley Football Club is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Michael Parkinson CBE. The town has lost one of its favourite sons, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”
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Comedian Dara O Briain recalled Sir Michael Parkinson doing “the coolest thing I ever saw pre-show” after the interviewer’s death. He tweeted: “I had the privilege of doing the Michael Parkinson show 3 times and it the most I ever felt like I was in “proper showbiz”. He was a consummate pro on-screen, and generous and encouraging off-screen. He also did the coolest thing I ever saw pre-show: I was standing with the guests, waiting for the show to start. Michael arrived, chatted away to us, not a nerve in sight, when the band starting playing the theme tune. Michael paused, smiled and said ‘They’re playing my tune’ and walked straight out and started the show. Lovely.”
While Little Britain comedian and former Bake Off host Matt Lucas tweeted: "Sir Michael Parkinson was a titan of television, the ultimate chat show host. We’ll never forget his brilliant interviews with Muhammad Ali, Dame Edna, Billy Connolly and, of course, ‘that bloody emu’.”
Fellow broadcasters Gary Lineker and Dan Walker have described Sir Michael Parkinson as “truly brilliant” and “a TV titan” as they paid tribute. Former footballer Lineker tweeted: “Saddened to hear that Michael Parkinson has died. A truly brilliant broadcaster and wonderful interviewer. He was very much part of Saturday nights growing up: Parkinson then Match Of The Day. RIP Parky.”
TV presenter Walker posted: “Michael Parkinson was a TV titan. It was always a pleasure to talk to him, on & off camera, about cricket, football, politics & TV. He was full of advice, picked up over his remarkable career, & always brought the best out in others. A proper gent who will be missed be many.”
Sir David Attenborough has said that Sir Michael Parkinson’s northern accent was "a very refreshing voice in those days".
In a pre-recorded interview for BBC Radio 4’s The World At One, Sir David said he thought when he was controller of BBC Two that Sir Michael was the “best freelance interviewer in the business”.
The naturalist added: “He was always knowledgeable, he was absolutely classless. That’s not quite true, you knew he was not a southerner, you knew he was a northerner and that was a very refreshing voice in those days and you knew that he would do his homework and that he would ask questions that didn’t occur to you. (Michael was) extremely professional, you knew that he would know all the background and you didn’t have to fill in anything. He was extremely generous, he wanted you to shine and would always laugh at your jokes and give you an opportunity to make them sound funnier than in fact they were.”
Sir Elton John said he “loved” Parkinson’s company as he paid tribute to the late broadcaster on Instagram. The 76-year-old Rocketman singer wrote: “Michael Parkinson was a TV legend who was one of the greats. I loved his company and his incredible knowledge of cricket and Barnsley Football Club. A real icon who brought out the very best in his guests.”
Sir Michael Palin said that the “publicists lit the fireworks” if you got on Parkinson’s show which he described as the “gold standard”. The presenter and comedian told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: “He wanted to get people on his show who entertained him and therefore who he thought would entertain the audience. It didn’t always work. In some cases, people (interviewees) suspected what they saw as the difficult questions he might ask in among all the fun and the enjoyment. He was a very good journalist, and a very proud journalist, and it was very important for him not to give people an easy ride. But he did basically choose people he liked, because he liked to be entertained himself.”
Parkinson made his last TV appearance on BBC's Breakfast in November 2022 where viewers shared their concern for the much-loved broadcaster, as many said they felt he looked 'frail'.
Sir Michael appeared on the BBC show to discuss his book titled, My Sporting Life: Memories, Moments, and Declarations, which he had co-written with his son, Mike. The celebrated broadcaster made the rare appearance to promote his book after keeping a very low profile after stepping down from his chat show in 2014.
He was last spotted publicly in May this year, just three months before his death, to celebrate the release of his autobiography. Appearing at the Hay Festival, Sir Michael was all smiles as he met fans over the course of the weekend. Prior to this, in April this year, he appeared at pal Dickie Bird's 90th birthday party at Leeds' Headingley Stadium.
Parkinson interviewed a range of high profile celebrities during his glittering career (BBC)The BBC have also announced that they will be re-airing a celebration programme about Parkinson tonight as tribute. It tweeted: “In a change to scheduled programming, Parkinson At 50 will air on @BBCOne tonight from 9pm. You can also watch the documentary on @BBCiPlayer now, along with some of Sir Michael Parkinson’s classic interviews."
The TV legend was the king of chat shows and carved out a television career that spanned five decades. He was best know for presenting his talk show Parkinson from 1971 to 1983. The small screen veteran’s show was revived in 1998 and ran until his retirement in 2007.
Following the very first episode of his eponymous show, Parkinson at the time had "no idea" whether it had gone well. “I was just happy to get through the first show without falling down the stairs or forgetting the name of the guest sitting opposite," he admitted in 2021. “I had no idea how it had gone. I knew there was something in it that I wanted to pursue but I had no idea how it would turn out.”
Seen as a temporary 10-week filler programme, it recorded over 650 episodes featuring interviews with over 2,000 guests and was voted by the BFI one of the top 10 UK television programmes of all time.
Michael’s glittering career saw him interview icons such as Muhammad Ali and Sir Elton John and he was knighted in the 2008 New Year’s Honour’s List. He is survived by his wife Mary, who he married in 1959, and their three sons.
He and Mary lived in Windsor, Berks, where Parky enjoyed his retirement. Reflecting on his life on and off screen Parky previously revealed that he and Mary were both engaged to other people when they met “on top of a bus” in Cudworth, near Barnsley, South Yorks. He said: “I know it’s terrible. I was on the verge of breaking up, and I think she obviously was too.”
At a dance in a hotel in Doncaster, he cut in as Mary was dancing with her boyfriend, who was in the RAF. Parky said: “I interrupted them and asked her to dance. It wasn’t the dancing that won her over, I’m not sure what it was, actually. But I was smitten by her.”
It was Mary he lost his virginity to. He said: “It was after I got married, absolutely. Living in those days it wasn’t a sexual free-for-all that’s going on now. Living in a tiny community like that everybody knew everybody’s business. It was about kissing and cuddling. I don’t think I missed anything. Did I? I don’t regret that.”
Michael had the interview table turned on him in May 2019 when he appeared on Piers Morgan's Life Stories. In a stunningly candid interview, Parkinson wept on camera as he spoke of his dad’s death 44 years ago. He told interviewer Morgan: “I’d never seen anybody I loved die and I saw my dad die.”
Parkinson with wife Mary as he receives knighthood in 2013 (AFP/Getty Images)
Parkinson with guest Kylie Minogue in 2004 (PA)Jack, a miner, got lung disease pneumoconiosis from coal dust and passed away in 1975. Michael and his mum, Freda, brought Jack home to die. “You could see him withering away,” he said. “For a man as vigorous as he was, it was like watching leaves fall from a tree. The thing that kind of nags at me like a nightmare is that two guys came to take the body away. I see the image very clearly and I thought he’s got to be worth a lot more than that... carrying him out in a little plastic bag. He knew how much I loved him. I never found it difficult to say that to him – nor he to me.”
Parky also owned up to battling drink and “misbehaving” after his dad’s death.
He also reconciled with his old friend Sir Billy Connolly after he made comments about the Scottish comedian’s health that left him very upset. The pair had been friends since the 1970s, so when Parky seemed to upset Billy Connolly with comments about the comic’s health the chat legend was distraught.
He sat down and wrote his friend a letter, telling Billy, who has Parkinson’s disease: “There is no way in this world I would hurt you, or deliberately demean you.” And 88-year-old Parkinson revealed: “I got a lovely reply, saying, ‘Let’s go back to how we were, old friends’.”
The pair had a public rift in summer 2018 when Parkinson told an interviewer of an “awkward dinner” he had with Billy. The funnyman said he was disappointed by his friend and worried about people reading the papers and feeling sorry for him.
Billy and Parky first became friends when the Glasgow comedy colossus was a guest on Parkinson in 1975. Billy became a regular guest, appearing on 15 shows, including the final one in 2007.
Quizzed by Morgan on how he wanted to be remembered after his death, he said: "I just want to be remembered as someone who had a good time, lots of good mates and wrote the odd good piece and did the odd good interview. That's enough."
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