Legendary TV talk show host Phil Donahue has died at the age of 88.
Donahue died Sunday night after battling a long illness, his family confirmed to “Today” on Monday morning.
“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,” said a statement from his family.
“Donahue was 88 years old and passed away peacefully following a long illness.”
At the top of his game, he nationally syndicated “The Phil Donahue Show,” later renamed “Donahue,” which was a ratings hit and preceded similar shows by hosts Montel Williams and Jerry Springer.
The family’s statement requested that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund in lieu of flowers.
Donahue was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden three months prior to his death.
Born on December 21, 1935, he grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and started his career in TV and radio in the 1950s.
In 1967, his talk show premiered in Dayton, Ohio. The hour-long show involved audience participation and discussed serious issues that included the Ku Klux Klan, abuse in the Catholic Church and feminism.
The show moved from Dayton to New York City in 1985. His shows welcomed popular guests in New York City such as Muhammad Ali, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin and Billy Crystal.
Additionally, Donahue was the first person to interview Nelson Mandela following the South African president’s release from prison in 1990.
“The Phil Donahue Show” ended in September 1996 after 29 years.
Donahue’s achievements included winning 20 Emmy Awards, 10 for outstanding host and 10 for the talk show itself.
“We grew up with the feminist movement, the consumer movement, the gay rights movement, we grew up with the antiwar movement, with the environmental movement,” Donahue said in an interview in 2001.
“The last part of the 20th century, the time in which I was able to go out there in public on television and feature the people who had the most to say about these very compelling issues, had my name on it.”
In 2002, Donahue returned to TV to host an MSNBC talk show, “Donahue.” The show was quickly canceled in 2003.
Donahue was first married to Margaret Cooney from 1958 to 1975. They had five children together Michael, Kevin, Daniel, Mary Rose and James.
In 1980, Donahue married Thomas, 86, who is best known for starring in the 1960s sitcom “That Girl.”
The two discussed their marriage in May in an interview with the outlet People.
“Being forced to quarantine during the pandemic taught us how great it was to slow down and hang out, but then the hectic schedule started again,” said Thomas.
“So we’re determined to get back to a slower pace, and that means curling up on the couch in front of the TV with a big bowl of popcorn. I like to call it “Netflix and Phil,” she added.
Donahue also admitted in that same interview he missed working on his famed talk show.
“Sometimes I’ll shout my question to a guest on the screen and hope they’ll somehow hear me,” the TV icon said. “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.”
He continued, “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.”
