Arise, Sir Michael

St David


Today the New Year's Honours List has been published and it is to be Sir Michael Parkinson. Well done Parky. Saturday nights, however, will not be the same without him. I never did quite get used to him being on ITV, a channel I confess we rarely watch but on the few occasions we did catch him over there we were pleased to see that the format of his shows had remained the same as when they first started in 1971.

Of course everyone remembers that emu incident but I just loved the way he prompted people gently to tell their (obviously rehearsed) anecdotes. His own favourites were often sports personalities, Muhammad Ali, Geoffrey Boycott, George Best and the lovely David Beckham. His final show, the one before the one where he picked all his favourite moments was rather disappointing. Billy Connelly was his usual magic, outrageous self, but Dame Judi Dench was cut far too short and what, frankly, was Dame Edna Everidge doing there? It was a disappointing ending to his career. I look forward to seeing some of the earlier interviews being released on DVD later, I'm sure that must be in the pipeline. Perhaps he can resurrect interviews with David Niven, always a great laugh, the Princess Anne interview, John Lennon, Peter Sellars, the list would be endless.

I wonder if anyone can take his place as chat show king? Alan Titchmarsh does a good job - time for the BBC to jump in quick and snap up that idea I would have thought.

Congratulations also to Sir Ian McKellern, the lovely Leslie Phillips ('Hello!'), super Julie Walters and gorgeous Kylie Minogue. And one of the most deserved awards to Nicholas Kenyon the out-going administrator of the BBC Promenade Concerts for stirling work over the last 11 years and bringing a wider audience to the Proms.

I know some people think that this sort of thing is a waste of time, money, and space but I love that people can be recognised by their peers for their work whether it is in the world of entertainment or not.