Phil Donahue, Iconic TV Talk Show Host, Dies At 88

Phil Donahue, the renowned TV talk show host, died Sunday evening surrounded by his loved ones, his family said in a statement shared with NBC’s “Today” show. He was 88.

Donahue “passed away peacefully following a long illness,” the statement reads.

In May, Donahue was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, for his contributions to the TV industry.

“Phil Donahue broadcast the power of personal stories in living rooms all across America,” President Joe Biden said during the ceremony. “He helped change hearts and minds through honest and open dialogue.”

Donahue, who hailed from Cleveland, started his career in radio before launching his famous TV show.

His namesake show, which ran for 29 years, was the first daytime TV show to include live input from the audience, and was one of the popular programs at the time. The show addressed hot-button topics like abortion and civil rights, among other issues.

Donahue received a total of 20 Emmy Awards. He also got a Peabody Award in 1980.

Following the end of his talk show in 1996, he was hired by MSNBC in 2002 to host a prime-time show, which was canceled within a year after failing to deliver the ratings the network expected.

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has credited Donahue with paving the way for her show’s success.

“If there had been no Phil Donahue show, there would be no Oprah Winfrey show,” Winfrey wrote in 2002. “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.”

In an interview with People magazine published in May, Donahue said he “occasionally” missed his old job.