The host with the most

AN interview with Michael Parkinson is as difficult to get as dress circle seats at Covent Garden.

Repeated calls bring the offer of a 30-minute interview slot two months ahead. But he retired years ago, so how crammed is his schedule? “Yes, it’s been a pretty active retirement,” says Parkinson. “We’re very lucky, aren’t we, those of us who pursue a career that enables us to go on and on?” His friendliness and charm are reminders of why Parkinson was such a success as an interviewer and broadcaster for half a century.

The tiring work in his diary is fulfilling duties outside television. Every charity wants Parkinson’s name on their headed paper; everyone wants him to draw the crowds. “From now to the end of the year, 90% of my diary is filled with those kind of appointments,” he says. “I really must trim them back.”