Michael Parkinson
On 16th August 2023, Sir Michael Parkinson passed away after a brief illness. A renowned broadcaster, journalist and television presenter, he was best known for his long and successful career hosting talk shows.
Born in Cudworth, South Yorkshire, on 28th March 1935, his father was a miner.
Michael passed the eleven-plus exam and was educated at Barnsley Grammar School, where he achieved two O’levels in art and English language. From an early age, he was passionate about cricket and played at Barnsley Cricket Club alongside Dickie Bird and Geoffrey Boycott.
Parkinson worked in local newspapers as a cub journalist after leaving school. He became a features writer for the Manchester Guardian and then moved to London to work for the Daily Express.
In 1955, Parkinson began his time in the National Service and received a commission in the Royal Army Pay Corps, becoming the British Army’s youngest Captain. He served as a British Army Press liaison officer and saw active duty in Egypt during the Suez crisis.
In the 1960s, Parkinson wrote for The Sunday Times, eventually writing a sports column about football and cricket but it wasn’t long before he moved into television. He began as a current affairs reporter for Granada Television. In 1969, he presented their late-night film review programme Cinema. His eponymous BBC talk show began in 1971, where he pioneered a conversational style of interview and was known for putting his guests at ease. Parkinson interviewed over two thousand people during that time, some of the greatest names of the twentieth century. From world-famous boxer Muhammad Ali, to Rod Hull and his mischievous puppet Emu, he managed to bring out the best in people. The Parkinson show ran until 1982, then was revived from 1998 until 2007 and his interviews have become part of British TV history.
Parkinson also hosted BBC radio programmes, a season on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs back in 1986, Parkinson on Sport on Radio Five Live from 1994 until 1996, and Parkinson’s Sunday Supplement on Radio 2 from 1996 until 2007. During the 1980s, he wrote a series of children’s books The Woofits and narrated the TV series. His autobiography ‘Parky’ was published in 2008.
In recognition of his services to broadcasting, Parkinson was invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000. ‘Parky’ became Sir Michael Parkinson in 2008 when Queen Elizabeth II awarded him a knighthood. In the same year, he became the first chancellor of Nottingham Trent University, where he developed a down-to-earth rapport with students and faculty. His other academic accolades included an honorary doctorate from the University of Lincoln in 1998 and an honorary D. Litt from the University of Huddersfield in 2008.
One of the most prominent figures in the British entertainment industry, Sir Michael Parkinson died at home, after a brief illness, at the age of eighty-eight. He is survived by his wife Mary, and their three sons, Andrew, Nicholas and Michael Jr.
