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.
From Human Traffic and The Business to his critically acclaimed performance in the raunchy TV adaptation of Rivals, via a stint as Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter in EastEnders, Danny Dyer has been on our screens for more than 30 years.
But it was his performance in the TV comedy Mr Bigstuff that earned him his first BAFTA win – and one of the ceremony’s biggest cheers from the audience – earlier this year.
Danny Dyer as Lee Campbell in Mr Bigstuff
Now, he returns to his prize-winning role for the second series of the Sky show, which tells the story of two estranged brothers – Glen (played by creator Ryan Sampson), an anxious carpet salesman living his ideal suburban life with fiancee Kirsty (Harriet Webb), and Lee (played by Dyer), an alpha male who struts back into his brother’s life carrying their father’s ashes.
Ryan Sampson (right) created the series and stars alongside Dyer
Several EastEnders alumni feature, including Nitin Ganatra, Victoria Alcock and Linda Henry, who played Dyer’s on-screen mother, Shirley Carter.
Reflecting on some of Albert Square’s most famous characters and who would work well in Mr Bigstuff, Dyer says he would have loved to see the late June Brown, who played the chain-smoking hypochondriac Dot Cotton for 35 years, taking on a role.
“Absolute legend,” he says.
Sampson suggests the late Dame Barbara Windsor, who played the formidable Queen Vic landlady Peggy Mitchell, but has a clear pitch if season three gets the green light.
“It could still be a possible, it would be amazing,” he says. “You want your Pat Butcher, don’t you? You want Pam St Clement. Why hasn’t she played a mafia boss yet? She’d be amazing. She’d be incredible at it.”
Dyer at the BAFTAs earlier this year. Pic: PA
Dyer reveals his screensaver
After his long career on screen, Dyer is now enjoying playing a variety of roles alongside the Cockney geezer types that became his bread and butter in the early noughties.
His nuanced performance as awkward entrepreneur Freddie Jones in Rivals brought him praise from fans and critics alike, and Mr Bigstuff his BAFTA.
But Dyer always had range. After small TV roles in shows including The Bill and A Touch Of Frost, he grew close to the Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter in 2000 after auditioning and earning the role of a waiter in his play Celebration at the Almeida Theatre in Islington, north London.
“I’ve got Harold Pinter as a screensaver on my phone,” he says. “I always feel that he’s sort of looking down on me or close to me, so I like to just feel that he’s around me.”
Dyer continued the role in Celebration both in the West End and on Broadway, with Pinter becoming his mentor in the process.
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In 2020, he presented a Sky Arts documentary, Danny Dyer On Pinter, which explored the life, career and impact of the playwright and screenwriter, who died in 2008.
He also has plans to develop a stage tribute to his friend, currently titled When Harry Met Danny.
Reflecting on his entry into the industry, he says theatre was quite inaccessible at the time, but Pinter opened it up to him.
“I think it’s even worse now, which I feel is a sad state of affairs,” he says. “I don’t know why that is. Everything’s become quite elite. All the elite f****** looking after themselves, so that needs to change.”
‘Love in the air’ at Oasis gig
But Pinter isn’t his only big influence – Dyer was one of the thousands of fans to see Oasis make their return to the stage in Cardiff earlier this month.
“It was really emotional seeing them come out,” he says. “There was a lot of love in the air, a lot of good energy.
“You know, there’s a lot of f****** shit going on. I think people, of my age as well, just want to jump around and sing them songs at the top of their lungs. So I’m still recovering, I’m not going to lie.”
Mr Bigstuff returns for season two on Thursday, on Sky Max and NOW
Entertainment
Scuffle breaks out on stage of Royal Opera House after performer unfurls Palestinian flag
A brief scuffle broke out at London’s Royal Opera House after a performer unfurled a Palestinian flag during a show.
The incident took place during a performance of Il Trovatore on Saturday.
During the final night of the 11-night run of the show, a performer held up the flag on stage.
In video footage, shared online, someone backstage could be seen attempting to take it off the performer. The performer grabs it back following a brief scuffle.
A spokesperson for the Royal Ballet and Opera said: “The display of the flag was an unauthorised action by the artist.
“It was not approved by the Royal Ballet and Opera and is a wholly inappropriate act.”
The reaction to the flag was mixed, with some people heard applauding and cheering, while another audience member was heard saying “oh my God”.
One poster on X, who claimed to have been a member of the audience, said: “Extraordinary scenes at the Royal Opera House tonight.
“During the curtain call for Il Trovatore one of the background artists came on stage waving a Palestine flag. Just stood there, no bowing or shouting. Someone off stage kept trying to take it off him. Incredible.”
Performers show support for Palestinians
A number of performers have shown support for Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
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During Glastonbury Festival, numerous acts offered messages of support during their sets, including Kneecap, Bob Vylan, Wolf Alice, and Amyl And The Sniffers.
During her band’s set, Wolf Alice singer Ellie Rowsell told the crowd at the Other Stage: “Whilst we have the stage for just a little bit longer, we want to express our solidarity with the people of Palestine.
“No-one should ever be afraid to do that.”
Following their performances, both Kneecap and Bob Vylan faced investigation by Avon and Somerset Police.
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BBC ‘regrets’ not pulling Bob Vylan live performance
Bob Vylan were widely criticised after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
The performance was live-streamed by the BBC, sparking a backlash against the broadcaster – which later issued an apology.
The investigation into Kneecap was later dropped, with the police saying there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The chief executive of tech firm Astronomer has resigned after a video appearing to show two of its senior members of staff embracing at a Coldplay concert went viral.
The tech firm said chief executive Andy Byron had tendered his resignation, and that the board of directors had accepted it.
“As stated previously, Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” the company said in a statement.
“Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met.
“The board will begin a search for our next chief executive as co-founder and chief product officer Pete DeJoy continues to serve as interim CEO.”
The firm previously said Mr Byron, who was alleged to be the man in the clip, had been placed on leave, but stopped short of confirming it was him in the video.
In the viral clip, the pair are shown on a screen with their arms around each other during the British band’s concert at the Gillette Stadium, in Boston, Massachusetts, on 16 July.
Once both of them realised they were being projected, the man quickly ducked out of view while the woman turned to hide her face from the camera.
Woman hides her face
Appearing to poke fun at the couple, Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin is heard on the clip saying: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
The awkward encounter sent the internet into a frenzy, with the video gaining millions of views on social media and reports emerging that the two were executives from New York-based tech company Astronomer.
In a previous statement on Friday, the company addressed the viral moment, saying in a post on X that it had launched a “formal investigation” into the matter.
“The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter, and we will have additional details to share very shortly,” it said.
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The company also said Mr Byron had not commented on the matter after a fake statement claiming to be from him began circulating online.
Astronomer said another named member of staff was “not at the event” and that “no other employees were in the video”.
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