*Phil Donahue, the legendary host of “The Phil Donahue Show,” passed away on Sunday, Aug. 18, at age 88.
According to a statement from his family, Donahue died peacefully at home after a long illness, surrounded by loved ones, including his wife Marlo Thomas, his children, grandchildren, and his golden retriever, Charlie, PEOPLE reports.
Per the statement, he “passed away peacefully following a long illness.”
Donahue’s family asked that, instead of sending flowers, donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund.
Donahue hosted his pioneering talk show from 1967 to 1996. After his death was confirmed, Oprah Winfrey paid tribute to him, acknowledging his role in paving the way for her television success.
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“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,” Winfrey wrote on Instagram. “He was a pioneer. I’m glad I got to thank him for it. Rest in peace Phil.”
Winfrey made similar remarks in the September 2002 issue of O, the Oprah Magazine.
“If there had been no Phil Donahue show, there would be no Oprah Winfrey Show,” Winfrey wrote in the issue. “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.”
Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera also paid tribute to Donahue on X, writing, “He was a hero, a talk show pioneer who inspired me to try my hand at the genre he invented. What an (sic) historic figure.”
RIP Phil Donahue 🙏….Remember when he had 2 Live Crew on his show to perform “The Funk Shop” and the audience reactions pic.twitter.com/odjfmrSu0Y https://t.co/VqgmY8CqdV
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) August 19, 2024
Rivera added, “He was the most important talk show host ever. He recognized that the daytime TV audience was under served. He remembered the home makers, and gave them an avenue to the rest of the world. A giant has passed.”
Former talk show host Montel Williams said Donahue “broke barriers with audience participation on pressing issues, setting a standard that many of us strive to live up to.”
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