21 Facts About Phil Donahue

Phil Donahue briefly hosted a talk show on MSNBC from July 2002 to February 2003.

Phil Donahue was one of the most influential talk show hosts and was often referred to as the "king of daytime talk".

In 1953, Phil Donahue was a member of the first graduating class of St Edward High School, an all-boys college preparatory Catholic private high school in Lakewood, Ohio.

Phil Donahue graduated from the University of Notre Dame, with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, in 1957.

Phil Donahue began his career in 1957 as a production assistant at KYW radio and television when that station was in Cleveland.

Phil Donahue got a chance to become an announcer one day when the regular announcer failed to show up.

Phil Donahue moved on to become a stringer for the CBS Evening News and later, an anchor of the morning newscast at WHIO-TV in Dayton, Ohio, where his interviews with Jimmy Hoffa and Billie Sol Estes were picked up nationally.

In Dayton, Donahue interviewed presidential candidate John F Kennedy, late-night talk show host Johnny Carson, human rights activist Malcolm X, and Vietnam war opponents including Jerry Rubin.

In Chicago and New York City, Phil Donahue interviewed Elton John, heavyweight boxing champions Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and author and political activist Noam Chomsky.

On November 6,1967, Donahue left WHIO, moving his talk program with The Phil Donahue Show on WLWD, in Dayton.

But, in January 1970, The Phil Donahue Show entered nationwide syndication.

Phil Donahue's syndicated show moved from Dayton, Ohio, to Chicago in 1974; then in 1985, he moved the show to New York City.

In July 2002, Phil Donahue returned to television after seven years of retirement to host a show called Phil Donahue on MSNBC.

In 2006, Phil Donahue served as co-director with independent filmmaker Ellen Spiro for the feature documentary film Body of War.

Phil Donahue was interviewed for the documentary film Finding Vivian Maier, about the posthumously recognized American street photographer and an acquaintance of his from the 1970s.

On May 24 and May 25,2016, Phil Donahue spoke at Ralph Nader's "Breaking Through Power" conference at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC.

Donahue was nominated for 20 Daytime Emmy Awards during his broadcasting career, winning eight for Outstanding Talk Show Host The Phil Donahue Show, as well as receiving both a Special Recognition Award in 1993, and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.

In 2024, Phil Donahue was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.

Phil Donahue returned to her native New Mexico, remarried, and retired from public view.

In 1999, Phil Donahue was one of the lead candidates to host the game show Greed along with Keith Olbermann, but Chuck Woolery was hired instead.

Phil Donahue died following a long illness at his home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, on August 18,2024, at the age of 88.