Michael Parkinson, the veteran British chat present host whose decades-spanning profession featured interviews with among the world’s highest profile figures, has died on the age of 88, his household stated Thursday.
His BBC present “Parkinson” which first aired in June 1971 made him a family title.
He died late on Wednesday following a quick sickness.
Muhammad Ali, Fred Astaire, Elton John, Paul McCartney and Peter Sellers had been only a few of the well-known names to grace his interview sofa.
Others included Lauren Bacall, David Bowie, Tom Cruise, Helen Mirren and Gwyneth Paltrow.
“Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family,” his household stated in an announcement, requesting “privacy and time to grieve”.
The star interviewer’s BBC chat present loved a profitable run till 1982 earlier than being revived in 1998.
He switched from the BBC to industrial rival ITV in 2004, the place he continued till 2007.
Parkinson’s closing two-hour present in late 2007 featured a usually star-studded line-up of footballer David Beckham, actors Michael Caine and Judy Dench, environmental broadcaster David Attenborough and comic Billy Connolly.
Parkinson was knighted by the late Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2008.
“I never expected to be knighted — I thought there was more chance of me turning into a Martian really,” stated the broadcaster who grew up the son of a miner in a working class neighborhood in northern England.
Prior to taking to the airwaves, he labored as a newspaper journalist, work that he credited with honing his interview expertise.
In 2013, he revealed he had been identified with prostate most cancers following a routine well being test.
He had three sons with spouse Mary, who he married in 1959.
Tributes shortly flooded in for the British TV legend, with the director-general of the BBC lauding him as “the king of the chat show” and an “incredible broadcaster and journalist”.
It will re-air a celebration programme about Parkinson on Thursday night.
Comedian Stephen Fry praised his authenticity.
“The genius of Parky was that unlike most people (and most of his guests, me included) he was always 100 percent himself. On camera and off,” he stated on Instagram.
An extended-time newspaper sports activities columnist and cricket fanatic, Parkinson was additionally lauded by celebrated former umpire Dickie Bird, who had spoken to his “true friend” by telephone simply hours earlier than he died.
“I’m completely stunned and shocked,” Bird advised Times Radio.
“There’ll never be another one like him… He will go down as a legend… he was the best.”
Source: www.anews.com.tr
