August 17th 2023.
The world was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of legendary broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson at the age of 88. His family released a statement that 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.”
The news was met with an outpouring of grief from fans and celebrities alike. Business magnate Lord Alan Sugar tweeted: “Very sad news on the passing of Michael Parkinson. End of an era. RIP.” Singer Elaine Page shared a picture of herself with the late star, writing: “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. RIP Michael.”
TV personality India Willoughby wrote: “V sad to hear about Michael Parkinson. When I was doing my journalism training, he came to give us a talk at Stradbroke 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.” Comedian Eddie Izzard remembered Sir Michael Parkinson as the “king of the intelligent interview,” saying “Very sad to hear that Michael Parkinson has left us. He was the king of the intelligent interview.”
BBC presenter Nick Robinson tweeted: “He [Parkinson] was the greatest interviewer of our age who owned Saturday night TV for year after year.” Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves wrote: “They say never meet your heroes. I did and held Sir Michael Parkinson in even greater esteem. Consummate pro, brilliant interviewer and warm genuine down to earth proper journalist. The undisputed king of chat shows. Condolences to his family.”
Broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth hailed Parkinson as “one of my heroes” in a touching post. He wrote: “They were chat shows, of course – but they were much 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 became a familiar face on both the BBC and ITV because of his intimate celebrity interviews, most notably on his self-titled BBC show. Parkinson first aired on the BBC on June 19 1971, and enjoyed a successful run until 1982. In 1998, the chat show was revived on the BBC and proved an instant hit. His career saw him welcome the likes of boxer Muhammad Ali, sporting star David Beckham and Rod Hull – with puppet Emu – onto his chat shows during a long and distinguished career. During the hundreds of episodes of his talk show, he also interviewed stars including David Bowie, John Lennon and Celine Dion.
Sir Michael Parkinson's death has been felt around the world, with many people remembering him as an iconic television presenter and interviewer. He will be remembered fondly as the king of the intelligent interview.
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