Sir Michael Parkinson CBE, the legendary British broadcaster, and interviewer, died on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at the age of 88. He had been suffering from a brief illness.

Interviews

Parkinson was a national treasure and his interviews with a variety of the biggest names in the world, from Muhammad Ali to Sir Elton John, were legendary. His biggest regrets were never interviewing Frank Sinatra and the way that he managed the infamous Meg Ryan interview. He was a familiar face on British television for decades, hosting his chat show Parkinson for over 20 years.

Tributes

Tributes to Parkinson include:

• “I’ll miss a true friend. He was a true friend. Very special to me.” – Dickie Bird, former cricket umpire
• “He was a giant of our industry, he was a great journalist, a great friend, and the talk shows – none of them have come near him since. He was just delightful company and a very modest man.” – Jimmy Tarbuck, comedian and TV presenter
• “Loved that man. Having grown up watching him interview greats, my first appearance was impossibly thrilling for me. The genius of Parky was that unlike most people (and most of his guests, me included) he was always 100% himself. On camera and off. “Authentic” is the word I suppose.” – Stephen Fry, actor and broadcaster

Billy Connolly

Parkinson was relieved to have repaired his friendship with Billy Connolly. Parkinson unwittingly offended Connolly in 2018 when he said that he was “slowing down.” Connolly has a degenerative neurological disorder, called Parkinson’s disease, which affects movement. The loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain causes it. The symptoms of the disease vary from person to person, but they often include tremors, muscle rigidity, slowness of movement, and impaired balance.

They fell out over the comment, after being friends for years. Parkinson had given Connolly his big break when he first interviewed him on his show back in 1975. Parkinson was relieved to have been able to make up with Connolly after writing him a letter that said ‘there is no way in this world I would hurt you, or deliberately demean you’. Connolly replied by writing back ‘let’s go back to how we were, old friends’.

Prostate Cancer

Parkinson suffered from prostate cancer in the past. He underwent radiotherapy treatment for the cancer in 2013, and in 2015 doctors gave him the all-clear.

Family

Lady Parkinson, Mary Agnes, survives Michael Parkinson, along with their three children.

Mica Ven is appearing on Celebrity MasterChef 2023. The first episode of the show aired on BBC One on Wednesday, August 2nd, and Mica, aka Big Meesh, aged 44, is one of the 20 celebrities competing for the title. The other celebrities include singer Jamelia, former glamour model Sam Fox and comedian Terry Christian. Mica is known for her appearances on Gogglebox, where she starred alongside her partner Marcus Luther for five years.

Mica is a talented cook and also has her own hair salon, Mica Nicole, in South-West London. Furthermore she is a mother to four children and a grandmother. She is known for her sense of humour and her down-to-earth personality.

Fans of Mica are excited to see her on Celebrity MasterChef and are hoping that she will go far in the competition, having already reached the semi-finals. She is a fan favourite and is sure to bring laughter to the show.

Here are three of the tweets about Mica Ven appearing on Celebrity MasterChef:

• “I’m absolutely loving Mica Ven on MasterChef. She is such a big bold character and lovely with it. ” @KathleenShark17
• “We are Team Mica…YAYYY!!! ” @AmericanMom20
• “Are we going to watch Mica Ven on Gogglebox watching herself? ” @Socialkindness1

Huw Edwards named as the presenter in the BBC presenter scandal. His wife, Vicky Flind, issued a statement on his behalf on July 12, 2023. Flind confirmed that Edwards is the presenter accused of paying a teenage girl £35,000 in exchange for explicit photographs.

The victim’s family lodged a complaint with the BBC on May 19, 2023, eventually leading to the presenter’s removal from the airwaves.

Edwards has not appeared on BBC broadcasts since July 5, 2023. This led to speculation that the BBC may have suspended him pending the outcome of the investigation into the presenter scandal.

In the statement, Flind said that Edwards is “deeply sorry” for the impact that the allegations have had on his colleagues and his family. She also said that he is “receiving in-patient hospital care where he will stay for the foreseeable future.”

The Metropolitan Police has said that Edwards has not committed a criminal offence. However, the BBC is still conducting an internal investigation into the allegations.

A senior BBC executive is leading the investigation and expects it to take several months to complete.

The scandal has caused a great deal of shock and consternation in the UK. Edwards is a well-respected presenter, and his name has been synonymous with the BBC for years. The allegations against him have raised serious questions about the culture at the BBC and the way that it deals with sexual misconduct allegations. If the allegations against Edwards are true, it could damage the BBC’s reputation and lead to calls for the resignation of senior BBC executives.

It is still too early to say what the long-term consequences of the scandal will be. However, it is clear that it has already had a significant impact on the BBC and on Edwards’ career.