Phil Donahue, Talk Show Icon, Dead At 88

Phil Donahue, who hosted "The Phil Donahue Show" for nearly three decades, has died at the age of 88. The daytime talk show host's family released a statement to "Today," saying, "Groundbreaking TV talk show journalist Phil Donahue died Sunday night at home surrounded by his wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, his grandchildren, and his beloved Golden Retriever, Charlie."

Few details have been revealed about the cause of death, although his family disclosed he had been dealing with a long illness. Donahue last made headlines in May 2024, when President Joe Biden awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Per CBS, the host's crossover from radio to television hosting paved the way for daytime TV. Donahue was one of the first talk show hosts to interact with his live audience, including them in the show. He also touched on hot button news issues such as abortion, and invited on celebrity guests, introducing elements of the medium that would be replicated by Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Springer, "The View," and more. Winfrey herself has acknowledged Donahue's impact on her career, commenting, "If it weren't for Phil Donahue, there never would have been an Oprah show" (via Reuters).

Phil Donahue's death has many looking back at his legendary career. "The Phil Donahue Show" ran for 29 years, from 1967 to 1996. He began filming the show in Dayton, Ohio, but relocated to Chicago in 1974, where he introduced an important aspect of his success. According to People, Donahue said, "One day, I just went out in the audience, and it's clear there would be no 'Donahue' show if I hadn't somehow accidentally brought in the audience." Donahue's trademark audience participation continued once he moved the show to New York City in 1985. From 2002 to 2003, he also had an MSNBC series called "Donahue."

Donahue received a whopping 20 Daytime Emmy Awards, and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1993. He met his wife, "That Girl" actor Marlo Thomas, when she was a guest on his show. Their 1977 meeting is immortalized on Thomas's YouTube channel, where she wrote "Instant chemistry!" in the caption.

After news broke of his passing, Donahue's contemporaries paid their respects. Deborah Roberts of ABC News wrote, "So sad to hear of the passing of talk show icon Phil Donahue at age 88. Like so many journalists, he inspired me during my career. What a life!" Sally Jessy Raphael, known for her own talk show in the 1980s and 1990s, wrote, "This is a very sad day. I admired Phil Donahue for so many reasons, and he was one of the finest broadcasters in American television. If there wasn't a Phil, there would have never been a Sally."