Phil Donahue, a famous TV host, has died at the age of 88.
His family told Today on Monday that the longtime host of The Phil Donahue Show died on Sunday night after a long illness.
The first person to host a talk show on TV did it for 29 years.
Phil died in his own home, with his family around him, including Marlo Thomas, his wife of 44 years.
In their statement, his children, grandchildren, sister, and golden retriever, Charlie, were all with him.
No more information was given about what killed Phil.
The news was announced on air by Today hosts Craig Melvin, 45, and Sheinelle Jones, 46. Sheinelle said again what a “trailblazer” the host was.
“You know, we overuse sometimes the word trailblazer, but he certainly was, indeed,” she stated.
His family and friends asked that instead of flowers, donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund.
James Donahue, Phil’s youngest son, died before him. He was 51 years old and had an aortic aneurysm.
TV FIRST PHIL
Phil was an early adopter of TV; his show was the first to require live audience participation.
He started out in radio in the 1950s and then moved on to TV, where he started The Phil Donahue Show in 1967.
After the host moved the show to a new station in 1974, the name was changed to Donahue.
The show aired until 1996, and the Cleveland native was in charge of more than 6,000 episodes.
During his time in broadcasting, Phil won 20 Emmys. Ten of them were for Outstanding Talk Show Host and ten were for The Phil Donahue Show.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1993 and gave him the Peabody Award in 1980.
Phil also got the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden earlier this year.
Many people will think of Phil at this year’s Emmys, which air on September 15.
THANK YOUS COME IN
Other famous people and talk show hosts, like Piers Morgan, 59, have said touching things about Phil’s death.
Piers wrote on X that she was “one of the true trailblazing icons of American television.”
“He was the first person to talk to a studio audience and hosted more than 6,000 talk shows.” The CNN interview I had with him a few years ago lived up to all my hopes. “What a smart and interesting man,” he said.
It was also Katie Couric, 67, who wrote on Facebook Monday morning that she was “so sad to hear this news.”
Oprah Winfrey, 70, a talk show host, talked about how much Phil helped her career.
“There wouldn’t have been an Oprah Show without Phil Donahue being the first to prove that daytime talk and women watching should be taken seriously,” she said on Instagram.
“He was a leader.” I’m glad I could thank him. Phil, please rest in peace.
Along with her tribute, Oprah shared an old picture of herself hugging the TV legend.