Michael Parkinson defined the television chat show in Britain. The presenter, who has died at the age of 88, was in a class of his own as an interviewer, enduring for nearly four decades. Parkinson, with his relaxed charm and Yorkshire brogue, always insisted that finding “the right chemistry” was the secret to stimulating television conversation.
The sharp-witted host attracted superstars to his era-defining programmes. They were always put at ease by his gift for attentive listening, which enabled him to create some of the most memorable moments in British television history, especially in seminal encounters with guests such as boxer Muhammad Ali and Orson Welles. Billy Connolly made his breakthrough after telling a rude joke about bums and parking a bicycle on the show, and Parkinson drew from Victoria Beckham the revelation that her nickname for her husband David was “Goldenballs”.
