Sir Michael Parkinson obituary: A gentle Yorkshire accent and razor-sharp wit – the host that A-listers wanted to share their secrets with
A Barnsley-born lad, who through interviewing the world’s biggest stars, became a household name himself.
Sir Michael Parkinson’s illustrious career spanned five decades, during which he chatted to the likes of John Wayne, Fred Astaire, Orson Welles, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Muhammad Ali (four times), Bette Davis, Lauren Becall and Tommy Cooper.
More recent A-listers to grace his comfy chat show chairs included Tom Cruise, Madonna, and the Beckhams. His career saw him at the helm of more than 600 shows and 2,000 interviews.
‘Greatest interviewer of our time’ – reaction as Parky dies
Sir Michael and Muhammad Ali in 1979
Despite having talked to almost every celebrity worth their salt, he once described Frank Sinatra as “the one who got away” – having never got the chance to sit down with “Ol’ Blue Eyes”.
Known to many simply as “Parky”, his gentle Yorkshire accent, warm tone and razor-sharp mind combined to make him the host every celebrity wanted to share their secrets with – minus a few notable exceptions.
His 2003 interview with American actress Meg Ryan went down in history as one of the most awkward TV chat show moments of all time. When he asked the monosyllabic star what she would do in his place, she snapped: “Why not wrap it up?”
Ryan later compared the tone of his questions about her erotic thriller In The Cut – a departure from her more usual romcoms – to that of a “disapproving dad”.
Twenty years after the interview, Parkinson called it his “most difficult TV moment,” offering up an apology to the actress and admitting neither of them were on “top form”.
Actress Helen Mirren also famously called him out during his 1975 interview with her, when he asked the then 30-year-old star if her physical attributes had “hindered” her in her career. Parkinson later referred to it as just “good television”.
Another interviewee who gave as good as they got was Rod Hull’s Emu the following year, who wrestled Parkinson to the ground during their chat. Parkinson went on to jokingly bemoan the fact that despite a wealth of perfectly crafted interviews to his name, “I’ll probably be remembered for that bloody bird”. He was, in part, right.
Sir Michael Parkinson with Tom Cruise. Pic: ITV/Shutterstock
From a family of miners
Sir Michael was born on 28 March 1935, in Cudworth, near Barnsley, in what was then the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Far from being born into showbiz, his father and grandfather before him were miners, and a young Parkinson left school with dreams of becoming a professional cricketer.
He once opened the batting for his local club alongside legendary cricketing umpire Dickie Bird, and underwent trials with Geoffrey Boycott.
But when a cricketing career didn’t work out, Parkinson turned to journalism, writing first for local newspapers before moving to London to work for the Daily Express.
Completing his national service in 1955, he was made a captain (the youngest in the British Army at the time) and saw active service in Egypt during the Suez Crisis.
Sir Michael with his wife Mary
After learning his trade in Fleet Street, he swapped print journalism for TV in the 1960s, first appearing on BBC nightly current affairs show Twenty-Four Hours, before fronting Granada’s late night film review show Cinema.
His hard work paid off, and in 1971 he was offered his own chat show – Parkinson – which ran until 1982.
Early in the show’s first run, when chatting to his interviewee Orson Welles ahead of filming, the director screwed up his list of carefully prepared questions. It was a moment Parkinson later cited as teaching him his craft, making him fully appreciate the art of giving his subjects space to talk.
Sir David Frost (centre) dishes out the champagne to Sir Michael, joined by (from left) Robert Kee, Angela Rippon and Anna Ford
A spooky Halloween trick
Sir Michael followed up his late-night chat with morning shifts, becoming one of the original TV-AM line-up in 1983, alongside Angela Rippon, Anna Ford, David Frost and Robert Kee.
Other TV credits include Parkinson One To One – with each show giving an in-depth chat with one celebrity, Give Us A Clue, and Going For A Song.
On Halloween night of 1992, he hosted controversial pseudo-documentary Ghostwatch, alongside presenters Sarah Greene and Mike Smith. The show garnered much press attention, with the BBC receiving tens of thousands of complaints from viewers unsure if the programme was real.
A music lover (he once called listening to music his “greatest joy in life,” adding, “I don’t know how people exist without [it]”), he presented Desert Island Discs from 1986 to 1989. He also presented a Sunday morning show on Radio 2 between 1996 and 2007, credited with bringing jazz to a more mainstream audience.
His eponymous BBC chat show was successfully revived in 1998, defecting to ITV in 2004 (due to a difference in opinion over scheduling), where it ran until 2007.
Sir Michael received a standing ovation after his final episode, later commenting that the conclusion of his show marked the end of “polite conversation”, citing more recent hosts – including Jonathan Ross and Graham Norton – as being more about the comedy than the chat, and their shows more a vehicle for the interviewer than their subject.
He went on to form his own production company, Parkinson Productions, along with his eldest son Michael Parkinson Jr.
In 2012, a Sky Arts show – Parkinson: Masterclass – saw Parkinson able to speak in depth with musicians and artists about their craft, with the show running for two years.
Sir Michael with George Best
‘I don’t see the point of him’
Never afraid to voice his opinions on fellow celebrities or the TV industry as a whole, Parkinson’s bluntness sometimes caused offence. His comments in a Radio Times article that the late Jade Goody represented “all that’s paltry and wretched about Britain today” led to criticism from the bishop who had married her.
The One Show (which he said was an example of the decline in TV), female comedians (not as funny as men) and Russell Brand (unfunny and creatively dull) were also on the receiving end of Parkinson’s sharp tongue, with him declaring of the latter: “I don’t see the point of him.”
However, he wasn’t afraid of a bit of celebrity stardust himself, popping up in a few surprising cameos, including the Christmas romcom Love Actually and the much-loved Australian soap Neighbours, when he bumped into Karl and Susan during their trip to London.
He also made a baffling appearance on the front cover of the 1973 Wings album Band On The Run, along with several other well-known figures and of course the band themselves.
Sir Michael wrote various books over the course of his career, including memoirs on Ali and footballer George Best, several sporting books centred around his love of cricket and golf, his family story in Like Father, Like Son and his 2009 autobiography Parky.
Like any self-respecting celebrity, he also wrote a series of children’s books – The Woofits – about a family of cuddly hat-loving dogs set in the fictional Yorkshire coal-mining village of Grimeworth, leading to a TV series which he narrated.
Sir Michael received his Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2008
‘I have the best job in the world’
Knighted for services to broadcasting in 2008, following his CBE in 2000, Parkinson joked he was “not the type to get a knighthood,” adding, “they give it to anyone nowadays”.
As well as interviewing celebrities in a professional capacity, he also counted many as close personal friends, including chef Michel Roux and comedian Billy Connolly.
Sir Michael with Billy Connolly in 2016
Known as an interviewer, Parkinson admitted he actually enjoyed it when the tables were turned and he himself was interviewed.
A man who reached the top of his game, he recognised his own good fortune, saying: “I have the best job in the world and once you have a show named after yourself, where else do you go?”
A life-long lover of cricket, Parkinson described playing the sport as “compulsory” for anyone born in Yorkshire. Adopting golf in later life, he was eventually forced to give up the sport due to back troubles.
In 2013, Parkinson revealed he was being treated for prostate cancer, and in 2017 he underwent a serious back operation.
He leaves behind his wife of 64 years Mary, three sons – Michael Jr, Andrew and Nicholas – and eight grandchildren.
The jailing of Mike Amesbury for 10 weeks for assault means Sir Keir Starmer potentially faces his first by-election test since becoming prime minister.
Officially, the 55-year-old former Labour MP for Runcorn and Helsby now faces a recall petition, but realistically he’s under enormous pressure to resign without delay.
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Amesbury was immediately disowned by the Labour Party, which condemned his actions in the assault as “completely unacceptable” and said it was time for a new MP.
“Local residents in the Runcorn and Helsby constituency deserved better, and we look forward to them getting the representation they deserved in the future with a new MP,” said a party spokesperson.
However, if Amesbury appeals against his sentence, as it’s being suggested he may, that would delay a by-election as a writ can’t be moved unless appeals are exhausted, or he stands down voluntarily.
Amesbury held the Cheshire seat with a seemingly healthy 14,696 majority at the July 2024 general election. But in a potential nightmare for Sir Keir, it was Reform UK – not the Conservatives – in second place.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK leads the opinion polls. Pic: Reuters
A challenge for Labour – but Tories in disarray
The current state of opinion polls, with Nigel Farage’s party edging ahead of Labour, suggests Reform will be in contention in a by-election and could pull off a sensational victory.
And so predictably it was Reform’s chairman Zia Yusuf who led calls from opponents for Amesbury to resign, followed by a handful of Tory backbenchers – but not by Kemi Badenoch yet.
“The great people of Runcorn deserve far better than waiting six weeks for a recall petition to take place,” said Mr Yusuf. “We call on Mike Amesbury to do the honourable thing and resign immediately.”
The risk of humiliation by Mr Farage may deter Labour big hitter Jonathan Ashworth – one of five Labour MPs defeated in July last year – from gambling on a quick return to Westminster in this seat.
The Conservatives appear to be in disarray over a potential by-election. Sky News can reveal that party HQ last week invited applications to be Tory candidate, with a deadline fast approaching.
“We are writing to invite applications for Runcorn and Helsby,” said a letter from the party’s candidates team. “We are particularly keen to see applications from people with links to the constituency.
“If you are eligible to stand and interested in applying, please apply through the Microsoft Form here and apply by no later than Tuesday 25th February at 12pm.”
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Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury. Pic: Reuters
When could a by-election happen?
A recall petition happens if an MP is jailed or receives a suspended sentence of a year or less. It lasts six weeks and if 10% of electors sign it, there’s a by-election – though the recalled MP can stand.
The last MP to be jailed was Tory Imran Ahmad Khan, former MP for Wakefield, who was sentenced to 18 months after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-yar-old boy. Labour won that by-election.
Although Sir Keir and the Labour high command have acknowledged since Amesbury pleaded guilty that a by-election in Runcorn and Helsby was almost inevitable, the party faces a dilemma over the timing of a poll.
Labour’s statement looking forward to a new MP suggests the party favours a speedy by-election, without the delay of a recall petition, rather than waiting until the local elections on 1 May or even later.
But there are dangers in a quick poll, as Sir Keir will recall. He was advised to rush the Hartlepool by-election in 2021, with disastrous results, and he has admitted he considered quitting after that humiliating defeat.
Sir Keir Starmer had a good record in by-elections when Labour were in opposition. Pic: Reuters
The numbers in Runcorn and Helsby last July were Labour on 22,358 votes (52.94%), Reform 7,662, (18.14%), Conservatives 6,756, (16%), Greens 2,715, (6.43%) and Liberal Democrats 2,149, (5.09%).
Runcorn is on the southern bank of the River Mersey and has expanded as a new town since 1964, and dominates the constituency with a population of 61,000. There are two smaller towns, Frodsham and Helsby.
Amesbury became MP for the processor seat of Weaver Vale in 2017. He was a shadow minister for work and pensions under Jeremy Corbyn, and for housing, communities and local government under Sir Keir until 2022.
A teenager who admitted killing his mother and two younger siblings was plotting a school shooting, it can now be reported.
Nicholas Prosper, 19, appeared at Luton Crown Court over the deaths of Juliana Falcon, 48, Giselle Prosper, 13, and Kyle Prosper, 16.
Their bodies were found at a flat in Leabank, off Wauluds Bank Drive, Luton, in September.
As he appeared in court on Monday, Prosper spoke to confirm his identity and to plead guilty to three charges of murder.
Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy, from Bedfordshire Police, said: “We understand the deep shock this case will have on people within Luton and across the country.
“Juliana, Kyle and Giselle were brutally murdered in their home by someone intent on causing the maximum harm and distress on not only his family, but to the wider community.
“We are extremely grateful to our officers who stopped him and prevented him from going through with his plans to target a school.
“We are working closely alongside Luton Borough Council to engage with schools in Luton to provide support, assistance and guidance to both schools and parents.”
Giselle Prosper (left), Juliana Falcon (centre), Kyle Prosper (right). Pic: Family pictures via Bedfordshire Police
Leader of Luton Council, Hazel Simmons MBE, branded the murders as “senseless” and said their thoughts were with the victims, their family and friends.
She then said the “revelation that the perpetrator had plans to cause further harm in one of our schools is extremely shocking, distressing and upsetting”.
The councillor sought to reassure parents by saying “our schools have robust systems in place to keep children safe and security is constantly reviewed and monitored”.
After recently asking schools to review their security, Ms Simmons said schools will be asked to further review their measures in light of what emerged from court on Monday.
“On behalf of the town I would like to thank and praise the excellent work of Bedfordshire Police for apprehending the perpetrator before he attempted to cause more harm.
“However, we know this case will be unsettling for parents which is why the council is working with schools to put support in place in our schools to anyone who needs it.”
Prosper also admitted a number of other offences, including purchasing a shotgun without a certificate, possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life and possession of a kitchen knife in a public place.
He will be sentenced on 5 March and has been remanded in custody.
‘A cold-blooded attack’
Chris Derrick, a deputy chief crown prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said the victims’ lives “were stolen in a cold-blooded attack”.
Mr Derrick said in a statement “the full extent of Prosper’s actions will be laid bare when he is sentenced, and he can expect to face a very long time behind bars”.
He added: “We hope today’s conviction offers some solace to those who loved and cared for them, as they mourn their loss.”
A friend of Ms Falcon previously described her as someone who “lived for her children” and said she was “a positive person who will be so terribly missed”.
A previous statement on X from the headteacher at Lea Manor High School said they were “deeply shocked” by the death of Giselle.
“Giselle was a beautiful soul and a model pupil, she excelled in all her subjects and will be sorely missed, particularly by her friends in Year 9.”
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Kyle’s school described the incident as “devastating” and offered “heartfelt condolences” to his family.
A previous statement issued by Cardinal Newman Catholic School said: “This is devastating news to all those who knew and loved Kyle and it will take some time to come to terms with the profound sense of loss.
“We know this will be a difficult time for students and staff and we will do all we can to support them with love and compassion.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to Kyle’s family on their immeasurable loss, to his friends and to all those in neighbouring schools who are coming to terms with their own loss.”
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