Barnsley pay tribute to famous fan Michael Parkinson, who interviewed David Beckham and Muhammad Ali among others, following death at 88

Barnsley have paid tribute to famous fan Sir Michael Parkinson, following the passing of the chat show host aged 88.

With a TV career spanning seven decades, he interviewed some of the world’s biggest stars including Muhammad Ali and David Beckham.

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Parkinson interviewed iconic sports stars on his chat showCredit: Getty

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Parkinson has died at the age of 88Credit: Getty

A statement from Sir Michael’s family said: “After a brief illness Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family.

“The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.”

Parkinson first aired on the BBC on June 19 1971, and enjoyed a successful run until 1982. In 1998, the chat show was revived on the BBC and proved an instant hit.

It switched from the BBC to ITV1 in 2004 and ran until 2007 – the same year Sir Michael retired from his Sunday morning Radio 2 programme.

His interviews with Ali were iconic and boosted viewers by millions every time he was on.

“I interviewed him four times – I lost on every occasion,” he said.

Tributes have since flooded in, including from Barnsley, the team who Parkinson was a life-long fan of.

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Parkinson was a huge sports fan and a lifelong Barnsley supporterCredit: Getty

“Barnsley Football Club is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Michael Parkinson CBE,” a statement read on Twitter.

“The town has lost one of its favourite sons, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”

Parkinson began his journalism career reporting for his hometown paper the Barnsley Chronicle.

He later joined the Guardian and then the Daily Express before moving into broadcasting, first at ITV’s Granada and then to the BBC.

All in all, Parkinson racked up 2,000 interviews over the years with some of the best-known names.

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Boxer Ali made a famed appearance on Parkinson’s showCredit: getty

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Beckham was another guest who previously appeared on his showCredit: bbc

Director-general of the BBC Tim Davie said in a statement: “Michael was the king of the chat show and he defined the format for all the presenters and shows that followed.

“He interviewed the biggest stars of the 20th century and did so in a way that enthralled the public. Michael was not only brilliant at asking questions, he was also a wonderful listener.

“Michael was truly one of a kind, an incredible broadcaster and journalist who will be hugely missed.”