SIR Michael Parkinson fans admitted their hearts were left ‘broken’ after watching a moving TV tribute show in the wake of his death.
Viewers found themselves in tears as they tuned into to a re-run of Parkinson At 50, which was aired in Sir Michael’s honour on the BBC.
Sir Michael Parkinson’s documentary Parkinson At 50 was aired in the wake of his death
A black and white tribute to Sir Michael played at the end
The show was filmed in 2021 when Sir Michael was 86 and it looked back on his glittering 50-year career as a broadcaster.
The now-late chat show host narrated the majority of the hour-long special and saw him talking about his best memories of his programme, Parkinson.
Clips of Michael interviewing legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, Dame Helen Mirren and the late pop star George Michael were shown.
There was also touching footage of the star – who died age 88 following a ‘short illness’ – chatting to his close friend, Scottish comedian Billy Connolly.
The programme finished with a black and white photograph of Michael, with the words: “Sir Michael Parkinson 1935-2023.”
Fans found themselves in tears as the credit rolled, with one saying on X: “Watching this the first time was sad but, because of todays news, me and mums eyes are like Niagara Falls.”
Another posted a ‘crying’ emoji and said: “They don’t make them like that any more.”
A third said: “Well done #BBC #Parkinsonat50 was wonderful, laughter, a few tears at the end.”
And someone else wrote: “That was an incredible hour of entertainment.
“Occasionally a celebrity dies which leaves a hole in your life. Parky was part of the fabric of my 46 years. RIP Michael.”
Sir Michael’s death was confirmed on Thursday morning.
A statement from his family said: “After a brief illness Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family. The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.”
During his five-decade career, Michael interviewed the world’s biggest names on his self-titled show — once estimating his total guests at 2,000.
Among those were David Beckham, David Bowie, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, George Best and David Attenborough.
As Parkinson At 50 drew to a close, Sir Michael was show choking back tears as he recalled an interview with the late Professor Jacob Bronowski.
Polish mathematician Prof Bronowski, who wrote the documentary The Ascent Of Man, spoke to Sir Michael in 1974 about his visit to Auschwitz.
Many of Prof Bronowski’s relatives had died at the concentration camp and his recollection made Sir Michael extremely emotional.
With tears in his eyes, Michael recalled: “It was one man’s account of the horror of what Nazi Germany did to the Jews.
“It’s profoundly moving because he’s an extraordinary man.”
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, one viewer admitted: “Well Michael wasn’t the only one welling up there. What a beautiful tribute to a lovely man.”
Another added: “Watching Sir Michael Parkinson tear up is breaking my heart.”
Sir Michael’s best interviews from Parkinson were shown in Parkinson At 50
Sir Michael interviewed Billy Connolly several times throughout his career
Viewers cried as he welled up when speaking about his ‘favourite’ interview
His most memorable chat was with Professor Jacob Bronowski
