Iconic talk show host Phil Donahue has passed away at the age of 88.
Credit: Steve Granitz / Getty
The family of Donahue has informed TODAY that he passed away on Sunday evening following a lengthy illness, with his loved ones by his side, including his wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas.
Donahue, the host of The Phil Donahue Show from 1967 to 1996, was a pioneer in the realm of daytime talk shows.
Celebrated as “the king of daytime talk,” he transformed the format by incorporating audience engagement, establishing his program as one of the most impactful of its era.
Earlier this year, President Biden awarded Donahue the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The White House acknowledged him as a “journalist and television pioneer” who played a crucial role in transforming the realm of daytime television.
Credit: Steve Granitz / Getty
Donahue, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1935, earned a degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame in 1957. He started his career in broadcasting in several junior positions and gained recognition at WLWD television station in Dayton in 1967.
Throughout his illustrious career, Donahue received 20 Emmy Awards and was honored with a Peabody Award in 1980. He addressed a diverse array of contentious issues, including feminism, civil rights, and consumer advocacy.
His interviews showcased a wide range of guests, such as Muhammad Ali, Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, and Farrah Fawcett. A significant highlight was his 1987 interview with Donald Trump, which aimed to promote The Art of the Deal.
One of the most memorable aspects of his show was a radio-style call-in segment, where Donahue would famously ask: “Is the caller there?”
Phil Donahue in 1970. Credit: Cincinnati Museum Center / Getty
His show generated numerous memorable television moments, featuring interviews with Katharine Hepburn and performances by the provocative rap group 2 Live Crew. Donahue’s impact set the stage for subsequent talk show hosts such as Oprah Winfrey, Montel Williams, and Ellen DeGeneres.
Piers Morgan referred to him as “one of the genuine pioneering figures in American television,” highlighting that Donahue hosted more than 6,000 talk shows and was the first to interact directly with a studio audience.
In 2020, Donahue and Marlo Thomas marked almost four decades of marriage by publishing their book, What Makes Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life.
Following the conclusion of his long-running show, Donahue made a brief return to television in 2002 with a program aired on MSNBC.
During the 1980s, he co-hosted a groundbreaking television discussion series alongside Soviet journalist Vladimir Posner amid the Cold War. Furthermore, Donahue co-directed the 2006 documentary Body of War, which received an Oscar nomination.
Donahue is survived by his five children, which include four sons and one daughter from a prior marriage. In place of flowers, his family has asked for contributions to be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund, as reported by NBC.
