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Sir Michael Parkinson has died, age 88.
British chat show host, journalist and broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson has died at the age of 88, according to reports.
A statement from his family, reported by The BBC, confirmed his death and said: “After a brief illness Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family.
“The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.”
Parkinson’s TV career spanned decades, and he was most well known for his talk show Parkinson. Over more than 800 episodes he interviewed some of the world’s most famous people, including Muhammad Ali, Sir Elton John, David Beckham, George Michael, David Bowie, and Sir Billy Connelly.
He revealed he was receiving radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer in 2013, and two years later said he had the all-clear from doctors.
He was born in 1935 in the South Yorkshire village of Cudworth, near Barnsley, and was the son of a miner. He began working in print journalism – first working at the local paper, then joining The Guardian and Daily Express, before moving into television.
The show Parkinson first aired on BBC television in 1971, running until 1982 in its first iteration. Parkinson relaunched the show on the BBC in 1998, before it moved to ITV in 2004 where it continued until 2007.
In an interview with Sydney Morning Herald, Parkinson estimated he had interviewed about 2000 guests. He has previously said boxer Muhammad Ali was his favourite.
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