Talk show legend reels in the years with Miriam
In a public interview with broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan as part of the West Cork Literary Festival, Parkinson was happy to expound on his career varied media career.
“Whatever I do is informed by being a journalist,” he said. “That was my training, and my passion, and it will be on my tombstone.”
At 77, Parkinson is still a sprightly and engaging character. He recalled being the first of his family in generations to escape going down the pits as a miner.
“I came from a pit village [Cadworth in Yorkshire] where every Parkinson for 150 years worked down the mines. I was saved from that by free education, which allowed me to go to grammar school.”
His father was determined he would not be a miner. “‘If I see you at the pit gate,’ he said, ‘I’ll kick your backside home’.” His mother encouraged him to read and write and bought him his first typewriter.
“Writing is a gift, and a rare gift, and if I have any regret, it’s that I may have opted for television over writing.”
Parkinson went on to interview more than 3,000 celebrities. Among his favourites were Muhammad Ali and George Best.
“I was lucky to interview Ali three times. In 1971, he was a contender, and the most beautiful human being I’d ever seen. In 1974, he had become politicised, racist even: He called me ‘honkie’. In 1981, he revealed the illness that was affecting him even then.”
Best he remembers as “another beautiful man”. Best would often stay with Parkinson and his Irish wife, Mary Heneghan, at the weekends.
“George was like a fourth son to me in many ways. But he didn’t want to stop drinking. And if you don’t want to stop, you die. I asked him once if he could live his life over, would he change anything. And he said, not a thing.”
Nelson Mandela was another favourite. “Nelson warned me that he was a little deaf. I was worried that he might not hear my questions, and he said, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll hear the ones I want to answer’.”
