Sir Michael Parkinson’s five most memorable interviews
Sir Michael Parkinson’s interviews are among the most memorable in British broadcasting.
Interviewing high-profile celebrities from both sides of the Atlantic, he sat down with the likes of Madonna, Sir Elton John and Tom Cruise – as well as Sir Tony Blair and Boris Johnson.
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But out of more than 800 episodes of his chat show, he will be remembered for just a select few – and not all of them for the right reasons.
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A look back at Sir Michael Parkinson’s career
Dame Helen Mirren (1975)
Helen Mirren in a play in London in 1979
Parkinson was often accused of being sexist during an interview in the 1970s with actress Dame Helen Mirren.
Perhaps reflective of attitudes at the time, he chose to focus on her portrayal as a “sex queen”, quizzing her on whether her “physical attributes… hindered her career” or “detracted from her performance”.
The then 30-year-old appeared uncomfortable and grilled him on what he meant, accusing him of claiming “serious actresses can’t have big bosoms”.
Reflecting on the exchange years later, he “pleads guilty to being sexist by today’s standards”.
“I was my most pompous self,” he said, adding that it revealed “an unattractive side” of himself.
Rod Hull and Emu (1976)
Rod Hull and Emu in London in 1976
One of Parky’s most famous encounters was with entertainer Rod Hull and his famous puppet Emu.
In later years he joked that there were far better exchanges he’d rather be known for.
“I’ll probably be remembered for that bloody bird,” he said.
Over the course of several minutes, the pretend bird relentlessly attacked him, damaging the on-set furniture and eventually wrestling him off his chair to the floor.
He managed to keep his composure and good humour throughout, before eventually kicking him away and getting to his feet.
Muhammad Ali (1971-81)
Ali and Parkinson in 1974. Pic: BBC
Parkinson interviewed the legendary boxer on four occasions between 1971 and 1981, flying once to the US in 1974 to co-interview him with American talk show host Dick Cavett.
Looking back, he compared their encounters to boxing matches, claiming he “lost on every occasion”.
“He was confrontational, he was dictatorial, all those things… and he had that physical presence,” he recalled in 2016.
Their first tete-a-tete saw the athlete talk movingly about his upbringing, racism and conversion to Islam.
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Parkinson interviews Muhammad Ali
But as the years went on their conversations got spikier.
Their 1974 chat saw Ali declare: “You and this little TV show are nothing to Muhammad Ali.”
Then in 1981, he challenged Parkinson again, saying: “I’m not just a boxer. I can talk all week on millions of subjects. You do not have enough wisdom to corner me on television. You are too small mentally to tackle me on nothing I represent.”
Although he said Ali would present a different version of himself each time, he said he revelled in each chance to sit opposite him.
“What a figure, what a personality,” Parkinson said.
“I’ve seen some beautiful men in my time but he was gorgeous. Beautiful – but the gibberish he talked was extraordinary.”
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David and Victoria Beckham (2001)
Parkinson credited his later interviews with being his best, having gained confidence and learned from earlier mistakes.
In 2001 he sat down with David and Victoria Beckham to ask them about their relationship, public image and accusations of affairs.
The Beckhams in Manchester in August 2000
Quizzing former Spice Girl Victoria on how the public’s perception of her had changed – she suggested her husband’s image had overtaken hers.
“I think they think I’m a miserable cow in high heels and I just go down Bond Street all the time,” she told him.
“You can get down and think ‘why don’t people understand me, why are they saying this and that’.
“But what better person than my own husband to see how you can turn all of that around.”
After a short pause, she made the revelation that she “calls him Goldenballs now”, to fits of laughter from the audience, before adding: “That’s one of those things I shouldn’t have said.”
Meg Ryan (2003)
Ryan and Parkinson in 2003. Pic: BBC
A few years after the re-launch of his BBC show in 1998, Parkinson interviewed Hollywood actress Meg Ryan.
The frosty exchange saw Parkinson grill the When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle star on why she wanted to be an actress if she didn’t enjoy being in the spotlight.
He accused her of being “wary” of journalists like him and asked what she would do if she was in his position.
Clearly exasperated, Ryan advised she would tell him to “wrap it up”.
She later accused him of behaving like a “disappointed dad” when discussing nudity in her films.
In a Radio Times interview, Parkinson admitted he wished he’d “dealt with it in a more courteous manner”.
“I was quite obviously angry with her and it’s not my business to be angry towards guests,” he told the magazine in 2021.
He said he would apologise if he saw her again – a change in tune from previously labelling her a “bore” and “unhappy woman”.
UK
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh admits pleading guilty to offence in connection with misleading police in 2014
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has admitted pleading guilty to an offence connected with misleading the police while a parliamentary candidate in 2014, Sky News can reveal.
Sky News understands Ms Haigh appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court six months before the 2015 general election, after making a false report to officers that her mobile phone had been stolen.
Ms Haigh said she was “mugged while on a night out” in 2013. She then reported the incident to the police and gave officers a list of items she believed had been taken – including a work mobile phone.
In a statement to Sky News, the transport secretary said she discovered “some time later” that “the mobile in question had not been taken”.
She added: “In the interim, I had been issued with another work phone.”
The transport secretary said: “The original work device being switched on triggered police attention and I was asked to come in for questioning.
“My solicitor advised me not to comment during that interview and I regret following that advice.
“The police referred the matter to the CPS and I appeared before Southwark magistrates.”
Ms Haigh continued: “Under the advice of my solicitor I pleaded guilty – despite the fact this was a genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain.
“The magistrates accepted all of these arguments and gave me the lowest possible outcome (a discharge) available.”
It’s understood her conviction is now classified as ‘spent’.
However, three separate sources claimed she made the false report to benefit personally, with two of the sources alleging she wanted a more modern work handset that was being rolled out to her colleagues at the time.
The now cabinet minister had been working as a public policy manager at Aviva, but two sources said she lost her job at the insurance firm because of the incident.
Her government profile states she left this role in 2015 before becoming the MP for Sheffield Heeley at that year’s general election.
Sky News understands the incident was disclosed in full when Ms Haigh was appointed to the shadow cabinet.
In the statement given to Sky News, the transport secretary said: “I was a young woman and the experience was terrifying.”
Conservative Party Chairman Nigel Huddleston told Sky News the revelations are “extremely concerning”.
He added: “Keir Starmer has serious questions to answer regarding what he knew and when about the person he appointed as transport secretary admitting to having misled the police.”
Before entering politics, the transport secretary was a special constable in the Metropolitan Police – serving between 2009 and 2011 in the South London Borough of Lambeth, close to where she was convicted several years later.
Louise Haigh was a special constable from 2009-2011. Pic: www.louisehaigh.org.uk
She was appointed shadow policing minister by Jeremy Corbyn in 2017 and frequently drew on her experience in the Met when challenging the Tory government on the rising demands on officers.
As transport secretary, Ms Haigh appoints members of the board that oversees the British Transport Police.
In 2019 she said that Boris Johnson had “deceived the police” and committed a “serious breach of trust” over claims he politicised serving officers during a speech in West Yorkshire.
Sir Keir Starmer promoted the Sheffield MP to shadow Northern Ireland secretary in 2020 before moving her to shadow transport secretary in 2021.
In this brief she has been an outspoken critic of the mass sacking of 800 workers by P&O Ferries in 2022.
In October, while transport secretary, she accused P&O of being a “rogue operator” and called for a boycott of its services.
The comments caused the firm’s Dubai-based owner to review a planned £1bn UK port investment – something that was re-confirmed after ministers held urgent talks with the company.
Louise Haigh has been the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Heeley since 2015
But she was publicly rebuked by Sir Keir who said her opinions were “not the view of the government”.
With connections to former Downing Street chief of staff Sue Gray, there has been speculation her cabinet role could be under threat in a future reshuffle.
Ms Gray’s son, Labour MP Liam Conlon, is Ms Haigh’s parliamentary private secretary and acts as her “eyes and ears” in parliament, while another of her former employees also worked for the former chief of staff before she was sacked after losing a power struggle within Number 10.
As transport secretary, Ms Haigh was one of a handful of cabinet ministers who complained to the Treasury about impending cuts in the budget.
She is considered to be one of the more left-wing members of the cabinet and has vowed to “rip up the roots of Thatcherism” with her plans for rail and bus reform.
In 2015, Ms Haigh was one of a number of Labour MPs to nominate Mr Corbyn for leader – a decision she later said she regretted.
UK
MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace steps down as Kirsty Wark among 13 who claim he made inappropriate sexual jokes
MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has stepped down over allegations he made a series of inappropriate sexual comments on a range of programmes over 17 years.
Broadcaster Kirsty Wark is among 13 people who have made claims, with Wallace being investigated by MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK.
In an interview with the BBC, the Newsnight presenter, who was a celebrity contestant on MasterChef in 2011, claimed Wallace used “sexualised language”.
“There were two occasions in particular where he used sexualised language in front of a number of people and it wasn’t as if it was anyone engaged with this,” Wark said.
“It was completely one-way traffic. I think people were uncomfortable and something that I really didn’t expect to happen.”
Sky News has contacted Wallace’s representative for comment.
Kirsty Wark. File pic: PA
‘Fully cooperating’
Banijay UK said the complaints were made to the BBC this week by “individuals in relation to historical allegations of misconduct while working with Gregg Wallace on one of our shows”.
The company said the 60-year-old, who has been a co-presenter and judge of the popular cooking show since 2005, was “committed to fully cooperating throughout the process”.
“Whilst these complainants have not raised the allegations directly with our show producers or parent company Banijay UK, we feel that it is appropriate to conduct an immediate, external review to fully and impartially investigate,” the company said.
“While this review is under way, Gregg Wallace will be stepping away from his role on MasterChef and is committed to fully co-operating throughout the process.
“Banijay UK’s duty of care to staff is always a priority and our expectations regarding behaviour are made clear to both cast and crew on all productions, with multiple ways of raising concerns, including anonymously, clearly promoted on set.
“Whilst these are historical allegations, incidences brought to our attention where these expectations are not met, are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately.”
A BBC spokesman said: “We take any issues that are raised with us seriously and we have robust processes in place to deal with them.
“We are always clear that any behaviour which falls below the standards expected by the BBC will not be tolerated.
“Where an individual is contracted directly by an external production company we share any complaints or concerns with that company and we will always support them when addressing them.”
Previous investigation
Last month, Wallace responded to reports that a previous BBC review had found he could continue working at the corporation following reports of an alleged incident in 2018 when he appeared on Impossible Celebrities.
Wallace said those claims had been investigated “promptly” at the time and said he had not said “anything sexual” while appearing on the game show more than half a decade ago.
In an Instagram post following an article in The Sun newspaper, he wrote: “The story that’s hitting the newspapers was investigated promptly when it happened six years ago by the BBC.
“And the outcome of that was that I hadn’t said anything sexual. I’ll need to repeat this again. I didn’t say anything sexual.”
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Alongside MasterChef, Wallace presented Inside The Factory for BBC Two from 2015.
Wallace and Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2014. Pic: PA
Wallace has featured on various BBC shows over the years, including Saturday Kitchen, Eat Well For Less, Supermarket Secrets, Celebrity MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals, as well as being a Strictly Come Dancing contestant in 2014.
He was made an MBE for services to food and charity last year.
Recorded episodes of MasterChef: The Professionals featuring Wallace will be transmitted as planned, the PA news agency understands.
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