Phil Donahue, longtime TV host, has passed away at 88 years old.
Reports state that Donahue died after battling a long illness. He was surrounded by his family including his wife, actress Marlo Thomas, his children, grandchildren, his sister, and his golden retriever, Charlie.
Phil Donahue was best known for his talk show “The Phil Donahue Show,” which was later renamed “Donahue.” His show received huge ratings and became an influence for other talk shows. In a 2002 interview, Oprah Winfrey spoke about Donahue and described him as a trailblazer.
“His show debuted nationally and the whole country came to know his personal brand of issue-driven straight talk,” she said. “If there had been no Phil Donahue show, there would be no ‘Oprah Winfrey’ show. He was the first to acknowledge that women are interested in more than mascara tips and cake recipes- that we’re intelligent, we’re concerned about the world around us, and we want the best possible lives for ourselves.”
“The Phil Donahue Show” ran for 29 years, launching on November 6, 1967, coming to an end in September 1996. Throughout the show’s run, Donahue would win over 20 Emmy awards and would be known for his interviews with Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Jerry Brown Jr., Sammy Davis Jr., Richard Pryor, Michael J. Fox, and many more.
After a six-year hiatus, he made his return back to Primetime TV in 2002 to host his interview-driven show, “Donahue.” The show would be canceled a year later due to low ratings.
In May 2024, Phil Donahue was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden. The family has requested that all donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund.