Phil Donahue, the pioneering US talk show host of The Phil Donahue Show, has died at the age of 88.
His family shared a statement to confirm the news, writing: “Groundbreaking TV talk show journalist Phil Donahue died Sunday night [August 18] at home surrounded by his wife of 44 years Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, grandchildren and his beloved Golden Retriever Charlie.
“Donahue was 88 years old and passed away peacefully following a long illness.”
Donahue’s signature show was considered highly influential in bringing audience participation to the heart of the action, and tackling controversial social issues such as abortion, incest, civil rights and child abuse in the Catholic church.
Among those to pay tribute to Donahue was Oprah Winfrey: “There wouldn’t have been an Oprah Show without Phil Donahue being the first to prove that daytime talk and women watching should be taken seriously. He was a pioneer. I’m glad I got to thank him for it.”
In Phil Donahue, our nation has lost a trailblazing television icon who held up a mirror to America and united us around the toughest issues of our time.
Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the Donahue family and keep them close in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/NzQPgbi6cP— President Biden (@POTUS) August 19, 2024
Donahue was born on December 21, 1935 in Cleveland, Ohio and set out on his path in journalism in Michigan in the late 1950s.
He secured his first job in television as a reporter at WHIO in Dayton, Ohio in 1959 and after spells on radio and TV news, landed his first talk show in 1967.
This is Phil Donahue checking Ayn Rand after she spewed some vile stereotypes about Palestinians. They don't make talk show hosts like this anymore. pic.twitter.com/IXk8bLvrgp
— Radheyan Simonpillai (@JustSayRad) August 19, 2024
Donahue was outspoken about rights for women, people of colour and the LGBTQ+ community, and was closely associated with the Democratic politician Ralph Nader.
He picked up 20 Emmy awards in his four-decade broadcasting career, and earlier this year was presented with the presidential medal of freedom by Joe Biden.
This is a very sad day. I admired Phil Donahue for so many reasons, and he was one of the finest broadcasters in American television. If there wasn't a Phil, there would have never been a Sally. My thoughts & prayers go out to Marlo and their family. #RIP #Legend #talkshows pic.twitter.com/knqPeAO6TJ
— Sally Jessy Raphael (@SJRaphael) August 19, 2024
Fellow talk show how Sally Jessy Raphael also paid tribute to Donahue, writing: “This is a very sad day. I admired Phil Donahue for so many reasons, and he was one of the finest broadcasters in American television.
“If there wasn’t a Phil, there would have never been a Sally. My thoughts & prayers go out to Marlo and their family.”
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