Phil Donahue, TV icon, dead at 88

From 1996: Phil Donahue reflects on career

Months before his final show, Phil Donahue looks back at some of the most impactful moments of his talk show career. Originally aired on FOX 5 NY, February 12, 1996.

Phil Donahue, a journalist and former daytime TV talk-show host, has died, according to a family statement released to multiple media outlets Monday morning.

"The Today Show" first reported his death, saying he had passed at the age of 88 following a long illness.

No other details were given.

The reported family statement also said he died at home surrounded by his family, including his wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, grandchildren and his beloved golden retriever, Charlie.

The Phil Donahue Show

From 1985: 7-month waitlist for Phil Donahue tickets

Phil Donahue was already a household name in 1985 when his syndicated talk show relocated to New York City. This Steve Dunlop report originally aired on WNYW-TV on January 7, 1985.

Donahue hosted "The Phil Donahue Show" from 1967 to 1996 and is considered an icon of the daytime talk show industry.

His show started off similar to other shows of its day, featuring celebrities and musical acts, but he soon started pushing the envelope by discussing health and social topics previously considered taboo, according to IMDB.

Dubbed "the king of daytime talk," Donahue was the first to incorporate audience participation in a talk show, typically during a full hour with a single guest.

The format set "The Phil Donahue Show" apart from other interview shows of the 1960s and made it a trendsetter in daytime television, where it was particularly popular with female audiences.

File: Portrait of television personality Phil Donahue, New York, May 19, 1992. This photo was taken as part of a shoot for TV Guide magazine. (Photo by Michel Delsol/Getty Images)

Later renamed "Donahue," the program launched in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967. Donahue’s willingness to explore the hot-button social issues of the day emerged immediately, when he featured atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair as his first guest. He would later air shows on feminism, homosexuality, consumer protection and civil rights, among hundreds of other topics.

The show was syndicated in 1970 and ran on national television for the next 26 years, racking up 20 Emmy Awards for the show and for Donahue as host, as well as a Peabody for Donahue in 1980. It included radio-style call-ins, which Donahue greeted with his signature, "Is the caller there?"

A stop on "Donahue" became a must for important politicians, activists, athletes, business leaders and entertainers, from Hubert Humphrey to Ronald Reagan, Gloria Steinem to Anita Bryant, Lee Iacocca to Ray Kroc, John Wayne to Farrah Fawcett.

Earlier this year, Donahue was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.

Talk show legend Phil Donahue dead at 88 years old

Legendary TV show host, Phil Donahue, died at 88 on Sunday night. The late star died at his home surrounded by loved ones, according to his family. Donahue received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden this past year.

Phil Donahue's wife

Donahue had been married to his wife, actress Marlo Thomas, since May 21, 1980.

Thomas had spoken previously on their long-lasting marriage, attributing "the three Ls: Love, listening and lust."

The "That Girl" star first met Donahue when she was a guest on his talk show in 1977, FOX News reported.

In 2020, the couple released a book near their 40th anniversary titled, "What Makes Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life."

They spent nine months speaking with celebrity couples whose relationships they’ve admired over the years, like Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, Ron and Cheryl Howard, and Chip and Joanna Gaines.

Donahue had five children, four sons and a daughter, from a previous marriage.

Entertainment