The renowned TV broadcaster Phil Donahue passed away. His age was eighty-eight.
The venerable host of The Phil Donahue Show passed away on Sunday night following a protracted illness, according to his family’s Today report on Monday.
He hosted his chat program for 29 years and was a TV pioneer.
With his 44-year wife Marlo Thomas by his side, Phil passed away at home.
He was accompanied by his sister, children, grandchildren, and golden retriever, Charlie, according to the family statement.
No further details regarding Phil’s cause of death were provided.
Today hosts Craig Melvin, 45, and Sheinelle Jones, 46, made the announcement live. Sheinelle praised the host once more, calling her a “trailblazer.”
She informed me, “You know, sometimes we overuse the word trailblazer, but he certainly was, indeed.”
His family requested donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund in lieu of flowers.
James Donahue, Phil’s youngest son, passed away before him. He suffered from an aortic aneurysm and was 51 years old.
FIRST PHIL TV
Because his show was the first to allow viewers to join in real time, Phil was a television pioneer.
In the 1950s, he began his career in radio before switching to television and hosting The Phil Donahue Show in 1967.
Later, in 1974, the host changed the program’s name to Donahue after moving it to a new station.
The Cleveland-born host appeared in more than 6,000 episodes of the program, which aired until 1996.
Phil won 20 Emmys throughout his broadcasting career. Ten of them were for The Phil Donahue Show, and ten were for Outstanding Talk Show Host.
Two other awards were the Peabody Award in 1980 and the 1993 entry into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.
Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also awarded Phil the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Emmys this year will pay tribute to Phil’s life on September 15th.
Gratitude enters.
Regarding Phil’s passing, Piers Morgan,59, and other well-known people and personalities have made heartfelt remarks.
Piers described X as “one of the real trailblazing icons of American television.”
He hosted over 6,000 talk programs and was the first person to speak to an audience in a studio. When I interviewed him for CNN a few years ago, he stated, “Everything I imagined it would be like… such a smart and interesting man.”
On Facebook on Monday morning, 67-year-old Katie Couric expressed her sadness over the news.
Oprah Winfrey, the 70-year-old talk show star, discussed how much Phil aided her professional development.
“Phil Donahue was the pioneer in demonstrating that women’s viewing and conversation during the day are worthy of attention,” the actress stated on Facebook. “Without him, there would not have been an Oprah Show.”
He made a breakthrough. He was kind enough to allow me to thank him for that. Phil, peace be with you.
Oprah added a photo of herself cuddling with the TV icon in the tribute.