Legendary Talk Show Host Dies at 88

Phil Donahue was a TV trailblazer.

He basically invented the whole ‘talk show meets live audience’ thing back in the late ’60s.

He even met his wife interviewing her on his talk show back in 1977. And they stayed together this whole time.

That’s a miracle for those in Hollywood.

It was on Sunday that passed away, surrounded by his family. He was 88.

They’re keeping the cause of death under wraps for now.

But they did mention he’d been battling a ‘long illness’.

Phil Donahue, a journalist and former daytime TV talk-show host who ushered in a new era of television, died at the age of 88. https://t.co/kcmU90I76b

— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) August 19, 2024

NBC News reports:

Phil Donahue, an innovative TV host who rose to fame in the late 1960s after he was the first person to interact with a studio audience on a talk show and brought new ideas into American living rooms,died Sunday, his family said.

The cause of death was not immediately disclosed. His family said he’d been suffering from a “long illness.”

“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,” his family said in a statement.

“Donahue was 88 years old and passed away peacefully following a long illness.”

Thomas posted to Instagram on Monday to tell her followers she’d be stepping away from her page a while to take care of herself.

She wrote that she didn’t want to leave without expressing gratitude for the support she has received and the “wonderful and generous way that you’ve let Phil and me share our life adventure with you over the years.”

At his peak, his nationally syndicated “The Phil Donahue Show” — later renamed “Donahue” — was a ratings hit and a precursor to similar shows with hosts Montel Williams and Jerry Springer.

Oprah Winfrey described Donahue as a trailblazer who invented smart talk in the afternoon and brought startling new ideas into the living rooms and laundry rooms of American women.

President Joe Biden honored him this year with a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

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Here’s Donahue meeting his bride-to-be on his show:

This might bring back some memories as so many watched his show in the 80’s and 90’s.