Absolutely devastating! VERY SAD LOSS Legendary Talk host found dead at age 88. In the past he broke all the TV records, today he died peacefully at his home. Married to a legendary actress you will know him immediately. When you understand who it is, you will surely cry

Phil Donahue, the “king of daytime talk” in the US, has died aged 88 in his Manhattan home on August 18.

In a statement to Today, his family confirmed the news, stating that the talk show host died following a long illness. During his final hours, he was surrounded by his loved ones, including his wife of 44 years, actress Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, Michael, Daniel, Kevin, and Mary Rose, his grandchildren, and his beloved golden retriever, Charlie.

The exact caused of death hasn’t been revealed.

Donahue hosted The Phil Donahue Show, later renamed Donahue, for nearly three decades, interviewing celebrities, politicians, and many of the iconic figures of his time, Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, and Dolly Parton among the rest.

Throughout his career, he hosted more than 6,000 episodes and often took on controversial social issues, inviting the audience to take part in the discussions and setting a new format for daytime talk shows.

Donahue was also known as a prominent feminist and supporter of women’s rights since the late 1960s.

He was born in Cleveland in 1935 and started his media career in the late 1950s, initially working both in talk radio and television. He launched his namesake talk show in 1967. The show moved from Ohio to Chicago in 1974, rebranding as simply Donahue.