Sir Michael Parkinson, former talk show host and journalist, has died
Broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has died at the age of 88.
His agent said he died peacefully at home in the company of his family on Wednesday night, following a brief illness.
Sir Michael, a former journalist, was one of British television’s most famous faces through his talk show Parkinson, which initially ran on the BBC from 1971 to 1982. He relaunched the show in 1998 before it moved to ITV in 2004, remaining on air until he retired the programme in 2007.
Over more than 800 episodes, the TV host affectionately known as Parky interviewed some of the world’s most high-profile figures – including Muhammad Ali, Sir Elton John, Tom Cruise, Helen Mirren and George Michael – and helped make comedian Sir Billy Connolly a household name.
Reaction as ‘greatest interviewer of our time’ dies – updates
Sir Michael Parkinson interviewed a host of A-list stars – including Tom Cruise. Pic: ITV/Shutterstock
Sir Michael with Sir Billy Connolly in 1987. Pic: ITV/Shutterstock
Despite his long and illustrious career, it was his 2003 interview with Meg Ryan that went down in history as one of his most memorable shows.
The chat show king was faced with a stony-faced Ryan, who delivered one-word answers as she promoted her poorly received erotic thriller The Cut.
More than 20 years later, he offered an apology to the actress and admitted neither of them were on “top form”.
He was also famously attacked by Emu when the puppet appeared on the chat show sofa next to Rod Hull, and wrestled him to the ground. The star would often joke that he would always be remembered for “that bloody bird”.
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Pictured with football legend George Best, and below with Muhammad Ali in 1979
BBC to friends and interviewees – celebrities pay tribute
As tributes were shared following the announcement of his death, many remembered him as “the king of the chat show”.
Director-general of the BBC, Tim Davie, said 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 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.”
Sir Michael received his Knighthood from the Queen at Buckingham Palace
Pictured with the late Cilla Black
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, BBC broadcaster Nick Robinson said: “He was the greatest interviewer of our age who owned Saturday night TV for year after year.”
Meanwhile, former BBC News anchor Simon McCoy posted: “Simply the Best. Anyone who was anyone was interviewed by him. What an amazing career he had. Thoughts with his family.”
Comedian Stephen Fry described being interviewed by Sir Michael as “impossibly thrilling” as he shared his memories.
“The genius of Parky was that (unlike most people… and most of his guests, me included) he was always 100% himself,” he wrote on Instagram. “On camera and off. ‘Authentic’ is the word I suppose.
“For one of the shows I was on with Robin Williams, a genius of unimaginable 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.”
‘The coolest thing I ever saw pre-show’
BAFTA and Culture Secretary Lucy Fraser also shared tributes, with Ms Fraser describing the star as a “broadcasting giant who set a gold standard for the television interview”.
Comedian Eddie Izzard remembered Sir Michael as the “king of the intelligent interview”, while British singer and actress Elaine Paige described him as “legendary”.
Sharing a picture of the pair on X, she wrote: “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.”
On Give Us A Clue with Liza Goddard and Lionel Blair
Comedian Dara O Briain shared a story of Sir Michael doing “the coolest thing I ever saw pre-show” during one of his three appearances on the “proper showbiz” programme.
“I was standing with the guests, waiting for the show to start,” O Briain wrote. “Michael arrived, chatted away to us, not a nerve in sight, when the band started playing the theme tune. Michael paused, smiled and said ‘They’re playing my tune’ and walked straight out and started the show. Lovely.”
Comedian and actor Matt Lucas also shared a tribute, remembering Sir Michael as “a titan” of television.
Broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth described the broadcaster as “one of my heroes”, saying it was a privilege to have known and worked with him.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Minute’s silence at cricket match
The world of sport also mourned Sir Michael’s death, with Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Barnsley FC both sharing tributes.
Sir Michael was a lifelong fan of cricket, with his childhood dreams of playing for Yorkshire dashed when he left school aged 16 and instead began working at a local paper.
The cricket club announced a minute’s silence before play on Thursday, while Barnsley FC said the club had “lost one of its favourite sons”.
Monty Python star Eric Idle, who was interviewed by the TV host in 1982, wrote on X: “Farewell Parky. A great Yorkshireman and cricket fan and a lovely interviewer to be with.”
Life before TV – and how he rose to fame
Michael Parkinson and Dame Helen Mirren
Sir Michael was an only child who grew up in a council house in the coal mining village of Cudworth, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire. His father was a miner, and would take his son down the pit when he was a teenager to put him off working there.
After leaving school, he went on to work at a local paper, later joining the Manchester Guardian and then the Daily Express.
He got his break in TV as a producer at Granada, moving to Thames TV before landing his chat show Parkinson at the BBC.
He also had a short-lived term at TV-am as part of the original presenting line-up alongside the likes of Angela Rippon and David Frost, and appeared on the shows Give Us A Clue, one-off drama Ghostwatch and Going For A Song.
On the radio, he hosted Desert Island Discs on Radio 4 as well as his own sports shows on Five Live.
Hosting David Attenborough. Pic: Ken McKay/Shutterstock
The star received an honorary doctorate in 2008, alongside cricket umpire and his good friend Dickie Bird, at the Barnsley campus of Huddersfield University.
He was also knighted by the late Queen at Buckingham Palace that same year, and said of the accolade: “I never expected to be knighted – I thought there was more chance of me turning into a Martian really.”
In 2013, Sir Michael revealed he was being treated for prostate cancer – but said he had no intention of stopping working.
He had three sons with wife Mary, who he married in 1959.
Victims of grooming gangs and modern slavery are being denied compensation by a government scheme because of their criminal records, Sky News has learned.
Analysis of official figures by Sky News’ Data & Forensics team shows more than 11,000 victims of crime over the last decade have been denied payouts because of their unspent convictions, including children.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority can award money to victims of violent crime, including sexual abuse.
It is the only government compensation scheme for victims – for those unable to work due to injuries, the money can be vital.
But, if an applicant has a criminal record, they are automatically refused compensation with limited exceptions.
Those with unspent convictions sometimes receive reduced sums.
Sky News has found that at least 130 children with criminal records have received reduced awards over the last 10 years, including 50 victims of sex abuse, four victims of brain damage, and one child who lost sight in an eye.
This rule on unspent convictions is based on the idea that public funds should only compensate blameless victims of crime and not, for example, a gang member who was injured in a fight.
But many argue the policy punishes those who have been forced to offend by exploiters, as well as victims of child sexual abuse.
‘I was frustrated that I wasn’t being believed’
Arthur Sherry, 43, from Perranporth in Cornwall was regularly abused by his babysitter from the age of five, including suffering rape.
In 2008, he reported it to Devon and Cornwall Police, alongside two other victims. He alleges the police did not believe him, and charges were not brought against his abuser.
Arthur Sherry, who was abused as a child, says he was denied compensation because of his criminal record
Arthur became angry and descended into addiction as a “coping mechanism”, becoming suicidal, and was repeatedly arrested for minor offences, such as making false calls to the emergency services.
“I wasn’t getting support from any agencies, and no one asked me, ‘Why is this man ringing the emergency services all the time?'”
“It was a cry for help. I was frustrated that I wasn’t being believed.”
Eventually, Arthur’s abuser, Shaun Burton, was convicted of multiple offences against children, including 11 counts of indecency with a child in relation to Mr Sherry.
But when Arthur, who suffers from complex PTSD, subsequently tried to make a claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in 2013, it was rejected because of his criminal record and because he submitted his application beyond CICA’s time limit.
He was not allowed to appeal the decision.
Arthur, aged 12 in the picture, was regularly abused by his babysitter, Shaun Burton, from the age of five
Many survivors of grooming gangs have criminal records due to being exploited and coerced.
While the government recently announced plans to disregard child prostitution convictions for these victims, many are urging authorities to go further and pardon all related offences.
Former victims’ commissioner Dame Vera Baird said: “They were not exercising their own free will and voluntarily committing crime, so there should be a discretion to look at that and say, ‘No, that wasn’t their fault’.
“They should get compensation for all the evil that was done to them by that gang.”
In 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recommended that the government amend the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme so that “applicants with unspent convictions are not automatically excluded where offences are likely to be linked to the circumstances of their sexual abuse as a child”.
The government has refused to act on this recommendation.
However, Labour MP Sarah Champion has tabled an amendment to the upcoming Victims and Courts Bill, hoping to implement it, as well as widen eligibility to the scheme.
“Victims are seen as running a cannabis farm and get a conviction, before it actually turns out that they were a victim of modern slavery.
“These people, who are very clearly recognised as victims and survivors, aren’t getting the money that’s owed to them. The system is broken and the ministers need to get rid of it.”
‘I was frustrated that I wasn’t being believed,’ Arthur tells Sky News’ Alice Porter
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A government spokesperson said: “Last year, more than £164m was paid out under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to victims, and we are going further by removing the time limit for civil personal injury claims and doubling Home Office funding for services supporting adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.
“Changes to the way we compensate victims have been considered by successive governments, and our priority must always be to treat all victims of violence equally.”
Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Tackling sexual offending is a key priority for Devon & Cornwall Police and we are working hard to bring offenders to justice.
“We take reports of all sexual offences seriously and will carry out thorough investigations into reports, looking at all viable lines of enquiry.”
Nathan Gill was at Manchester airport, about to board a flight to Russia, when accepting bribes finally caught up with him.
Gill, the former leader of Reform UK Wales and a one-time member of the European Parliament, who on Friday was jailed for 10-a-half-years, was stopped by police before boarding and had his phone seized in 2021.
While they interrogated him, his home in Anglesey was raided, with detectives discovering more electronics and cash piles of €5,000 (£4,400) and $5,000 (£3,800) respectively.
Nathan Gill being questioned. Pic: Met Police
The evidence on Gill’s phone would damn him – he was in contact with a pro-Russian politician in Ukraine, Oleg Voloshyn, and had agreed to boost pro-Russia viewpoints in exchange for money.
Voloshyn would dictate the statement, and Gill would repeat it – in some cases, almost word for word – in the media or the European Parliament.
In one instance, Gill appeared on the now-banned Ukrainian TV channel, 112 Ukraine, which was known for its pro-Russian stance.
In the interview, he was critical of the Ukrainian decision to open criminal proceedings against Viktor Medvedchuk, the owner of the television channel and a personal friend of Vladimir Putin.
Nathan Gill. Pic: Met Police
Speaking to the outlet, he said he was “very concerned” about the investigation, and wondered whether it was meant to silence “opposition politicians”.
Prosecutors said messages on Gill’s phone showed that this was at his paymaster’s instruction, with Voloshyn offering a “reward” if he would say that it was unacceptable to persecute a person for their political convictions.
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Voloshyn also offered the MEP €2,000 (£1,750) if he would express concern that Mr Medvedchuk could no longer mediate with Russia on Ukraine’s behalf, the court heard.
He added that “V” – understood to be Mr Medvedchuk – did not believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had “true intentions to pursue a peace agenda”, prosecutors said.
Bundles of cash were recovered from Gill’s home. Pic: Met Police
Sure enough, Gill appeared on 112 Ukraine saying it was “very sad” that Mr Medvedchuk felt he no longer had Mr Zelensky’s backing to act as a mediator with Russia, and suggested that using him “would be a sensible thing to do”.
The messages traded in innuendo, referring to the exchange of “Xmas gifts” or “postcards” instead of money.
But as the pair grew more comfortable with each other, they bargained more explicitly, with the sum of “£5k” quoted for Gill’s work.
Dominic Murphy, head of Counter Terrorism Command at the Met Police, said Gill had also offered access to other MEPs.
“This is where we get into that slightly odd situation where it feels very much like a real effort to undermine democracy here,” he said.
“This is Nathan Gill reaching out to individuals that he knows, who are Brits, who might be willing to be paid to go and make speeches.”
Commander Murphy declined to name names, but said there was an ongoing investigation and that other people had been spoken to.
None of the pro-Brexit MEPs Gill allegedly approached have been interviewed under caution.
Pic: Met Police
Police confirmed there was no evidence to suggest Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was involved.
Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport on 13 September 2021, under schedule 3 of the Counter Terrorism and Borders Security Act 2019.
He offered police no explanation for his actions and answered no comment in a March 2022 police interview.
But the 52-year-old is believed to have had financial problems.
Mr Murphy added that while Gill appeared to have pro-Russian sympathies, he was primarily motivated by money.
The ex-MEP has been jailed for 10-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to eight counts of bribery between December 2018 and July 2019.
Following an investigation by counter-terrorism police, officers said they believe Gill likely took a minimum of £40,000 in cash and was offering to introduce other British MEPs so they could be bribed.
Voloshyn was picked up by the authorities on a trip to the US in 2021, which enabled the FBI to discover his end of the conversation.
He is now believed to be in Russia, but has been sanctioned by the UK government over allegations of trying to destabilise Ukraine.
Nathan Gill pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery over pro-Russian statements. Including to media outlet 112 Ukraine. Pic: Met Police
He remains wanted in both Britain and Ukraine.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “Mr Gill’s actions were reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable.
“We are glad that justice has been served and fully welcome the sentence Nathan Gill has received.”
Mr Farage, the Reform UK leader, said: “An investigation into Russian and Chinese influence over British politics would be welcome.”
The MP for Clacton previously described his former colleague as a “bad apple” and said he was “shocked” after Gill pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery.
He said: “Any political party can find in their midst all sorts of terrible people.
“You can never, ever guarantee 100% that everyone you meet in your life, you shake hands with in the pub, is a good person.”
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