“King of Daytime Talk” Phil Donahue Dies at 88
Phil Donahue, the renowned talk show host of The Phil Donahue Show, died last Sunday on August 18 in his Upper East Side Manhattan home.
A representative of the family confirmed the news. According to the statement that was shared, “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.”
It added, “Donahue was 88 years old and passed away peacefully following a long illness.”
His exact illness was undisclosed.
Instead of sending flowers, his loved ones have requested that donations be given to the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund or the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Donahue became known in the late 1960s for being the first talk show host to interact and build rapport with studio audiences.
Donahue was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 21, 1935. Despite studying business in college, he pursued a career as a radio journalist during the late 1950s. He worked for different radio stations before landing The Phil Donahue Show which was later shortened to Donahue.
Donahue gained recognition for creating thought-provoking public dialogues regarding controversial issues like feminism, the Catholic Church’s child abuse accusations, and racial tension. One of the show’s most memorable episodes was when he offered viewers an inside look at the Ohio State Penitentiary in 1971.
Because of Donahue’s success, the show remained on the air for 29 years from 1967 to 1996. From being a local show in Dayton, it catapulted to national success, winning 20 Daytime Emmys and averaging eight million viewers per show.
When Donahue retired, former Multimedia Entertainment President Bob Turner said, “Phil Donahue essentially started this company and began an entire industry in daytime syndication.”
Earlier in 2024, President Joe Biden awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a civilian can receive.
After hearing of his passing, fellow talk show host Oprah Winfrey wrote on Instagram, “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. Rest in peace, Phil.”
Montel Williams, another TV host, paid tribute to him, saying, “With a heavy heart, I bid farewell to Phil Donahue, the true godfather of the talk show genre. Phil pioneered audience participation on critical issues, setting the standard for all of us who followed.”
