Phil Donahue, the famous talk show host from the US, has sadly died at the age of 88. His family shared that he passed away peacefully at home on Sunday after battling a long illness, with his loved ones by his side.
Phil Donahue is often called the “king of daytime talk.” He made and hosted The Phil Donahue Show, which really changed television forever. For almost thirty years, he was the host of over 6,000 episodes and talked to many famous people, like Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, and Dolly Parton.
Donahue started his media career in the late 1950s, but it was in 1967 when he kicked off his famous talk show. The show first aired in Dayton, Ohio, but in 1974, it moved to Chicago and became super popular. This was especially true after Donahue started letting the audience join in the conversation. This cool new way of doing things became a big part of daytime TV.
Donahue’s way of doing talk shows was really popular, especially among women, because they liked how the show had important conversations about things happening in the world. His show was one of the first to talk about social problems, which helped to change what daytime TV was all about.
He is survived by his wife, Marlo Thomas, who is an actress, and their four kids. Donahue will be remembered as a trailblazer in television and for changing the way talk shows are made for many years to come.
