Sir Michael Parkinson has been hailed as a “broadcasting giant” who was the “king of the intelligent interview” following his death at the age of 88.

Sir Michael became a familiar face on both the BBC and ITV with his intimate celebrity interviews, most notably on the BBC show Parkinson.

Some of the celebrities he interviewed have paid tribute after his family announced he died “peacefully at home” on Wednesday.

“The genius of Parky was that unlike most people (and most of his guests, me included) he was always 100 per cent himself. On camera and off. ‘Authentic’ is the word I suppose. For one of the shows I was on with Robin Williams, a genius of unimaginable comic speed and brilliance. Now they’re both gone. One should get used to the parade of people constantly falling off the edge, but frankly one doesn’t. So long #parky.” – comedian Stephen Fry via Instagram.

Former cricket umpire Dickie Bird told of his last call with Sir Michael, who was his closest and dearest friend.

In a statement, Dickie Bird said he and Sir Michael had been friends since they were youngsters. “His father and my father worked down the mines together in Barnsley and we have been friends all of our lives. His friendship meant more to me than anything else. It meant so much to me. Our friendship, if I wanted any advice I would ring Parky up. He helped me in so many, many ways. There will never be a chat show host like Michael Parkinson. He was the best. There will never be anyone better than him in your lifetime, my lifetime or anyone else’s lifetime.”

“He was a Barnsley boy, like myself, and it was an absolute pleasure to know him and his family. We are all devastated here at Yorkshire and thoughts of everyone at the Club are with Sir Michael’s family and friends at this sad time.” – Yorkshire Cricket Club managing director of cricket Darren Gough in a statement.

“We’ll never forget his brilliant interviews with Muhammad Ali, Dame Edna, Billy Connolly and, of course, ‘that bloody emu’.” – comedian and actor Matt Lucas.

“Michael arrived, chatted away to us, not a nerve in sight, when the band starting playing the theme tune. Michael paused, smiled and said ‘They’re playing my tune’ and walked straight out and started the show. Lovely.” – comedian Dara O Briain via Twitter.

“They don’t make them like that anymore. Rip Sir Michael Parkinson.” – Irish broadcaster and journalist Eamonn Holmes via Twitter.

“Very sad to hear that Michael Parkinson has left us. He was the king of the intelligent interview.” – comedian Eddie Izzard via Twitter.

“Such very sad breaking news that Sir Michael Parkinson has died. Have known him for many years, sang on his TV chat show & attended many events with him. A legendary interviewer that will be remembered as the best of his profession. We will never see his like again.” – British singer and actress Elaine Paige via Twitter.

“A broadcasting giant who set a gold standard for the television interview. He spent his life entertaining millions of us with his Saturday night talk show & was one of our most treasured TV personalities. My thoughts are with Michael’s family & friends.” – UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer.

“Michael was the king of the chat show and he defined the format for all the presenters and shows that followed. He interviewed the biggest stars of the 20th century and did so in a way that enthralled the public. Michael was not only brilliant at asking questions, he was also a wonderful listener. Michael was truly one of a kind, an incredible broadcaster and journalist who will be hugely missed.” – BBC director-general Tim Davie in a statement.

A celebrated career

Sir David Frost (left) and Sir Michael Parkinson in conversation on February 09, 2011 in Sydney. Photo: Getty

The chat show host interviewed some of Hollywood’s biggest names throughout his illustrious career, including Jimmy Cagney, Fred Astaire, Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman.

Sir Michael became a familiar face on the BBC and ITV because of his intimate celebrity interviews, most notably on the BBC show Parkinson.

Parkinson first aired on the BBC on June 19, 1971, and enjoyed a successful run until 1982.  In 1998, the chat show was revived on the BBC and proved an instant hit.

His career afforded him the opportunity to welcome boxer Muhammad Ali, sporting star David Beckham and Rod Hull with puppet Emu onto his chat shows during a long and distinguished career.

During the hundreds of episodes of his talk show, he also interviewed stars including David Bowie, John Lennon and Celine Dion.

Headline-making interviews throughout his career included those with actresses Dame Helen Mirren and US star Meg Ryan.

He famously introduced stage and screen star Dame Helen as the “sex queen” of the Royal Shakespeare Company during their 1975 chat show encounter, and asked if her “equipment” hindered her being recognised as a serious actress.

In 2003, his interview with Ryan made headlines following a frosty one-on-one with the Hollywood actress while she was promoting the poorly received erotic thriller In The Cut.

Before his TV career, Sir Michael started life as an only child, growing up in a council house in the coal mining village of Cudworth, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

As a teenager, his father, a miner, took him down the pit to put him off working there.

When his dreams of playing cricket for Yorkshire were dashed, he left school aged 16 and began working at a local paper, later joining the Manchester Guardian and then the Daily Express.

His first TV job was as a producer at Granada, and he later moved to Thames TV, before landing his chat show Parkinson at the BBC.

He had a short-lived term at TV-am as part of the original presenting line-up alongside Angela Rippon and David Frost and appeared on the shows Give Us A Clue, one-off drama Ghostwatch and Going For A Song.

Sir Michael brought down the curtain on more than 30 years of his chat show at the end of 2007 with a final show featuring Beckham, Sir Michael Caine, Sir David Attenborough, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Edna Everage, Sir Billy Connolly, Peter Kay and Jamie Cullum in a two-hour special.

“Over the years it has been a privilege to meet some of the most intelligent and interesting people,” he said on the final show.

“It has always been a great joy and I shall miss it.”

As well as his television career, he was a respected radio broadcaster, having hosted Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4 as well as his own sports shows on Five Live.

He was also an award-winning sports writer, having been a life-long cricket fan.

He received an honorary doctorate in 2008, alongside cricket umpire and his good friend Dickie Bird, at the Barnsley campus of Huddersfield University.

He was knighted by the late Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2008, and said of the accolade: “I never expected to be knighted – I thought there was more chance of me turning into a Martian really.”

In 2013, he spoke openly about being diagnosed with prostate cancer following a routine health check.

He had three sons with wife Mary, who he married in 1959.

-with PA