Sir Michael Parkinson’s five most memorable interviews

Published

2 years ago

August 19, 2023

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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.

Dame Helen Mirren (1975)

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)

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)

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.

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.”

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.

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)

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”.

Entertainment

Jimmy Kimmel’s show back on Sinclair and Nexstar thanks to viewer feedback

Published

28 mins ago

September 27, 2025

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Jimmy Kimmel's show back on Sinclair and Nexstar thanks to viewer feedback

Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show will return to ABC affiliates belonging to Sinclair and Nexstar after the two major network operators took his programme off-air over his comments in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Kimmel was accused of being “offensive and insensitive” after using his programme, Jimmy Kimmel Live, to accuse Donald Trump and his allies of capitalising on the killing.

Disney-owned ABC suspended the show last week following threats of potential repercussions from the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission.

Sinclair, which controls 38 ABC affiliates from Seattle to Washington DC, called on Kimmel to apologise to Mr Kirk’s family over the comments and asked him to “make a meaningful personal donation” to Turning Point USA, the nonprofit that the conservative activist founded.

On Tuesday, Disney announced the return of the programme after backlash to its suspension, but both Sinclair and Nexstar, which own more than 20% of ABC affiliates, initially said they would not resume airing the show.

Kimmel criticised the ABC affiliates who preempted his show during his TV return, saying: “That’s not legal. That’s not American. It’s un-American.”

Three days later, the two major network operators announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live would return to their TV stations after the week-long boycott.

The move came after Sinclair received “thoughtful feedback from viewers, advertisers and community leaders”.

In its statement, the company pointed to its “responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honouring our obligations to air national network programming.”

Nexstar, which controls 28 ABC affiliates from Kansas to New Orleans, said in a similar statement that it was airing content that is “in the best interest of the communities we serve”.

Both companies said their decisions were not affected by influence from the Trump administration or anyone else.

The president had criticised the programme’s return on Tuesday, writing on Truth Social that he “can’t believe” ABC gave Kimmel his show back and hinted at further action.

“Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE,” Mr Trump wrote.

“He is yet another arm of the DNC (Democratic National Committee) and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this.”

During Kimmel’s first show since being taken off-air, the presenter said it was “never my intention to make light of” Mr Kirk’s death.

“I don’t think there’s anything funny about it,” he said as he choked up.

“Nor was it my intention to blame any specific group for the actions of what was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make”.

Speaking on Tuesday night’s show, Kimmel said he understood why the remarks “felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both”.

New episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live air Monday to Thursday, and Friday night’s rerun will be of Tuesday’s show, meaning viewers of Sinclair stations will be able to watch Kimmel’s emotional return to the air.

Entertainment

Prince of Wales says 2024 was ‘hardest year’ of his life

Published

28 mins ago

September 27, 2025

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Prince of Wales says 2024 was 'hardest year' of his life

The Prince of Wales has told Schitt’s Creek star Eugene Levy that 2024 was the “hardest year” of his life.

The future king told the Hollywood star about last year, which saw his wife, the Princess of Wales, and his father, the King, both undergoing treatment for cancer.

The pair were catching up over a pint in a pub as part of Apple TV+ series The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy, which will air next month.

In the episode Living The Royal Life In The UK, William tells Levy: “I’d say 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had.

“Life is said to test us as well and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.”

The preview of the episode also saw Levy invited to “pop down” to Windsor Castle for a private tour by the prince.

Levy, 78, can be seen reading out an invitation saying: “I heard that your travels have brought you to the UK and I wondered if you might like to see Windsor Castle?

“If you’re free at 10 tomorrow, why don’t you pop down to the Castle for a private tour.

“Would be great to see you!”

After touring the castle, Levy asks William what he does when he is at home, and the prince laughs and replies: “Sleep. When you have three small children, sleep is an important part of my life.”

New episodes of The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy will premiere weekly until the finale on 31 October 2025.

The special episode with William will air on 3 October.

Entertainment

Wallace and Gromit creator talks clay and creativity – as he returns home to reopen museum

Published

12 hours ago

September 26, 2025

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Wallace and Gromit creator talks clay and creativity - as he returns home to reopen museum

It’s hard to believe it’s 35 years since a plasticine man in a sweater and slippers, along with his voiceless, but hugely expressive dog, burst on to our screens and won the hearts of millions with their mix of humour, charm and nostalgia.

Wallace and Gromit managed to be both familiar and fresh, and their modest creator Nick Park couldn’t have foreseen how their handmade adventures would change the world of animation and make Wensleydale cheese internationally famous.

But three decades on and Preston-born Park is beginning to realise that his flair for feel-good filmmaking has made him a very big deal.

Oscar wins and box office hits aside, his latest accolade, in the Lancashire city where he was born and bred, clearly means a lot.

A new Wallace and Gromit exhibition is being showcased at the Harris Museum, which Park visited frequently growing up.

The historic landmark looms large over the city centre and is filled with artefacts and treasures that inspired him as a boy.

He was drawn to the library and devoured books on his favourite subject, you guessed it, animation.

The museum has been closed for four years as part of a £19m revamp. And who better to re-open it this weekend than Park.

As we meet at the exhibition, he tells me he was a quiet child who loved drawing. Visits to the museum helped shape his creativity and storytelling.

He said: “I used to love spending a day around here looking at all the artefacts, the paintings. I used to come to the library here, there was no internet, and so I would look for books on animation.

“I would scour the library for anything I could get my hands on.”

We chat in a life-size replica of Wallace and Gromit’s living room. The wallpaper, standing lamp and armchair are so familiar.

Park says it’s like sitting in one of his own sets.

The living room was actually based on his grandma’s house, which he describes as a cosy 1960s home. And as he sits in the chair with his cup of tea, he jokes that he’s now turned into Wallace.

He said: “I feel like I’m made of clay, sitting on a replica set, it’s just incredible.”

But that’s the joy of his films – the personal touch. And whilst they’re unmistakably Northern, inspired by Park’s family and upbringing, they’re also universally relatable.

He said: “I used to draw from my own childhood a lot, and that’s what inspired me. Because it feels true to do that.

“So, I went to memories of my granny, the lamp stand that my granny had and other objects, toasters, clocks, you name it.”

Park is now arguably as famous as his much-loved characters. Something he seems to be finally getting used to.

He says he’s honoured and a little overwhelmed that his hometown holds him and his clay creations so close to his heart.

He said: “I was a shy teenager, and just talking about this hobby, I never imagined they would become household names.

“So, to have statues of my characters in the centre of town and now to be opening this newly refurbished exhibition and my own exhibition. To be here with my own characters, it’s just crazy.”

I ask what this stop motion supremo makes of the use of AI and technology in film.

He said: “We need to hang onto our values, there’s something about handmade quality that gives everything charm and appeal.

“It would probably be wrong to completely ignore that.”

The exhibition is immersive and emotive. Being up close and personal with the models, drawings, and characters evokes the same feelings as the films do. Warmth, humour and nostalgia.

A journey through the formative years of a young filmmaker and the birth of one of cinema’s unlikeliest heroes.

Park is now inspiring the next generation of storytellers and filmmakers at the museum, which played such an important part in his own success story.

Wallace and Gromit in A Case at the Museum Exhibition opens on Sunday and runs until January.