Sir Michael Parkinson looked set to find fame as a cricketer in his younger days, but eventually it was journalism that propelled him into the limelight as he became as well known as many of the famous faces he interviewed.
The broadcaster, who has died at the age of 88, joined the likes of contemporaries Sir Geoffrey Boycott and umpiring great Dickie Bird on the Yorkshire cricket scene as a youngster, but never quite made it to the top ranks of the game he loved.
Sir Michael, in his Barnsley accent, would grill global celebrities and was not afraid of controversy.
He introduced Sir Billy Connolly to a wider audience, with the Glaswegian comedian sharing edgy material that often did not get an airing on TV.
Sir Michael even sparred with Muhammad Ali in a memorable exchange of views on a variety of subjects, and despite disagreements with the boxing great, described his opponent as a “beautiful human” being.
In later years Sir Michael continued to interview top celebrities and was not afraid of offering opinions, including criticisms of reality television stars.
