In Pictures: Chat show king Sir Michael Parkinson became showbiz royalty
PA
·3 min read
Sir Michael Parkinson looked set to find fame as a cricketer in his younger days, but eventually it was journalism that propelled him into the limelight as he became as well known as many of the famous faces he interviewed.
The broadcaster, who has died at the age of 88, joined the likes of contemporaries Sir Geoffrey Boycott and umpiring great Dickie Bird on the Yorkshire cricket scene as a youngster, but never quite made it to the top ranks of the game he loved.
Instead his work as a reporter with Granada TV would eventually give him his opportunity, leading to his eponymous chat show with the BBC starting in 1971.
Sir Michael joined fashion designer Mary Quant and hair stylist Vidal Sassoon (centre), to show off some of her latest venture, neckwear for men (PA)
Sir Michael (furthest left) joined other celebrities on the cover of the Band On The Run album by Paul McCartney and Wings (PA)
Sir Michael with his wife Mary at Heathrow Airport (PA)
Desert Island Discs presenter Roy Plomley with some of his guests, including Sir Michael, bottom left (PA)
The five presenters of TV-am in 1983 – Robert Kee, David Frost and Sir Michael, Anna Ford and Angela Rippon (PA)
Singer Adam Faith (centre) celebrated 25 years in show business on TV-am with Sir Michael (standing left) and guests (PA)
Sir Michael, in his Barnsley accent, would grill global celebrities and was not afraid of controversy.
He introduced Sir Billy Connolly to a wider audience, with the Glaswegian comedian sharing edgy material that often did not get an airing on TV.
Sir Michael even sparred with Muhammad Ali in a memorable exchange of views on a variety of subjects, and despite disagreements with the boxing great, described his opponent as a “beautiful human” being.
But he decisively lost a televised bout with Rod Hull and his puppet Emu, who dominated the encounter, launching a series of assaults that left the chat show reeling and covering up in a futile attempt to fend off his aggressor.
The net is lowered for Sir Michael (right), gymnast Hayley Price and athlete Sebastian Coe as part of a fitness drive (PA)
Sir Michael Parkinson and football legend George Best (Fiona Hanson/PA)
Sir Michael (front row, third from right) joined other stars for the 60th anniversary of BBC TV (BBC/PA)
Sir Michael with wildlife expert Sir David Attenborough and comedian Sir Billy Connolly (right) during his talk show (BBC/PA)
Sir Michael watches while the UK’s then deputy PM John Prescott tries his hand on drums during rehearsal (BBC/PA)
Sir Michael (second left) with chat show guests Robbie Williams, Ewan McGregor and Rory Bremner (BBC/PA)
Geri Halliwell, Carol Vorderman and Dawn French joined Sir Michael on his chat show (PA)
In later years Sir Michael continued to interview top celebrities and was not afraid of offering opinions, including criticisms of reality television stars.
He was fond of Australia and would regularly be seen at cricket matches or at Wimbledon.
His knighthood was one of many accolades that came his way and he even received an honorary degree alongside his friend from his teenage days, Dickie Bird.
Sir Michael (second right) with guests Alan Davies, Warren Beatty and Mo Mowlam (BBC/PA)
Sir Michael with Sir Michael Caine and Harry Enfield (BBC/PA)
Sir Paul McCartney appeared on Parkinson in 1999 (Richard Haugton/PA)
Sir Michael Parkinson receives his knighthood (Martin Keene/PA)
Sir Michael Parkinson (left) and Dickie Bird at the Huddersfield University campus in Barnsley, where they received honorary doctorates (PA)
Sir Michael Parkinson in the Royal Box during the 2022 Wimbledon Championships (Adam Davy/PA)
A teenager who crashed a BMW SUV while driving 190 km/h, causing the deaths of her sister and a friend, was sentenced Tuesday during an emotional hearing that saw many in the courtroom, including the judge and lawyers, struggle to contain their emotions. The girl, who was 16 years old at the time of the incident, will spend two years on probation under conditions that include community service. She is also prohibited from driving for five years. Court heard that four teens were in the car the ni
Collective amnesia seems to have struck the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, especially around the question: Is the president above the law?Five of the six conservative justices who ruled to give the president absolute immunity for “core” presidential duties seem to have made contradictory statements during their Senate confirmation hearings.“No man is above the law,” Neil Gorsuch told Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) during his confirmation hearing in 2017. Read more at The Daily Beast.Get
Usually, a first lady looking radiant on the cover of Vogue is a PR coup for any presidential administration and a carefully-cultivated statement for a magazine that primarily covers fashion but also insists on its seriousness and depth.There have been some huge, unenforced errors in first lady features–profiling Asma al-Assad as a cosmopolitan “rose in the desert” as her dictator husband slaughtered thousands of Syrian civilians may have been the biggest–but generally, respected first lady + ta
Linda Blackford: A new, more powerful Donald Trump is threatening you, Mitch McConnell, and thanks to your Supreme Court, his threats suddenly have a lot more gravity.
Princess Anne has shared her first public message since leaving hospital where she received treatment for minor head injuries and concussion. Details...
More than 7 in 10 voters have already decided whom they will vote for in the November presidential election, according to a new poll. The Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released Monday showed 72 percent of respondents said they have already made up their minds, while 28 percent said they are still weighing their choices. That’s a…
Emma Raducanu is playing at Wimbledon! Discover more about the British tennis star's private life and her split from billionaire boyfriend, Carlo Agostinelli. Details...
The former adult actress talks to Rachel Maddow about her testimony in Trump's business fraud trial The post Stormy Daniels Notes if Trump Could Prove She Lied, ‘He’d Have Whipped His Junk Out a Long Time Ago’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers have asked the New York judge who presided over his hush money trial to set aside his conviction and delay his sentencing, scheduled for next week.