Phil Donahue, iconic talk show host, dies aged 88
Donahue presided over his eponymous programme for 29 years.
Phil Donahue, the host of the trailblazing TV talk show The Phil Donahue Show, has died at the age of 88, it has been confirmed.
His death was announced on NBC's Today show this morning.
Today shared a statement from his family, which read: "Groundbreaking TV talk show journalist Phil Donahue died Sunday night at home surrounded by his wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, grandchildren and his beloved Golden Retriever Charlie."
It continued: "Donahue was 88 years old and passed away peacefully following a long illness."
Donahue was the first TV talk show host to interact with a studio audience, revolutionising the genre and paving the way for future hosts such as Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.
He hosted more than 6,000 episodes of his eponymous show over 29 years, from the first broadcast from a Dayton Ohio station on 7th November 1967 to the last on 13th September 1996, which was seen nationwide on syndication via Multimedia Entertainment.
The show drew huge audiences and gained acclaim for tackling important and contemporary topics such as LGBTQ+ issues and race relations.
Over the years, he interviewed politicians, feminists, heads of state, Ku Klux Klan members, porn stars and '60s radicals.
He was also the only talk show host to be granted an interview with Nelson Mandela following his release from prison.
Donahue received 20 Emmys throughout his career, including 10 for The Phil Donahue Show, and 10 for outstanding talk show host.
Earlier this year, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden, alongside Michelle Yeoh and Katie Ledecky, and appeared at the White House in May.
"I was very moved," he told People Magazine at the time. "Being inside the historic White House — man, that can really play on your heartstrings."
Speaking about his career, he admitted that he "misses it occasionally", adding: "Sometimes I’ll shout my question to a guest on the screen and hope they’ll somehow hear me.
"But to be honest, even though the medium has changed a bit – the sets are fancier, the productions are slicker, and the hosts are thankfully more diverse – all of the talk shows still cleave to the one thing that laid at the foundation of the 7,000 episodes I taped, and that’s curiosity.
"I still believe that, despite our differences, we’re all part of this sprawling global family, and we just need to get to know each other, so that we can share the world together."
Survivors include his wife of 44 years, That Girl star Marlo Thomas. The pair met when she was a guest on his show before marrying in May 1980.
