Oprah Winfrey Leads Tributes to Legendary Daytime Talk Show Host Phil Donahue, Dead at 88

Phil Donahue, who pioneered the daytime talk format, is honored by fellow television hosts including Oprah, Ricki Lake, Montel Williams, Sally Jesse Raphael, Andy Cohen, Kelly Ripa, and more.

Phil Donahue changed the shape of daytime television. Now, Oprah Winfrey is paying tribute and crediting the legendary host with her own career after his death at 88 years old over the weekend.

Announced Monday morning on the Today show, "Groundbreaking TV talk show journalist Phil Donahue died Sunday night at home surrounded by his wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, grandchildren, and his beloved golden retriever, Charlie. Donahue was 88 years old and passed away peacefully following a long illness."

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The Phil Donahue Show debuted in 1967 and would run for 29 seasons, ending upon his initial retirement in 1996. It was the first talk show to include audience participation and would come to shape the daytime talk show format for decades to come.

Oprah Winfrey, who paid tribute to Donahue shortly after the announcement of his passing, credits Donahue with creating the space that she would ultimately come to dominate by the 1980s.

"There wouldn’t have been an Oprah [Winfrey] Show without Phil Donahue," she wrote on Instagram Monday morning, emphasizing that he was "the first to prove that daytime talk and women watching should be taken seriously. He was a pioneer. I’m glad I got to thank him for it. Rest in peace Phil 🙏🏽🕊️."

Donahue picked up 10 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Talk Show Host, throughout his career, among 20 total Emmys, and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1993. His unique hosting approach was famously parodied multiple times on Saturday Night Live by comedy icon Phil Hartman.

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A radio journalist in the 1950s, Donahue pivoted to television and interviewed a slew of notable figures including President John F. Kennedy and Malcolm X, as noted by TMZ . He won the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.

Kelly Ripa paid tribute to Donahue on Instagram as well, writing, "Good friends are hard to come by and even harder to lose. To a life well lived. We love you Marlo and will miss Phil eternally 💔 #ripphildonahue ."

"Raising a glass in honor of the great #phildonahue," wrote fellow '80s daytime host Ricki Lake on Instagram . "Phil was an absolute legend and a pioneer in the talk show space. The 🐐!
So honored to stand beside him at Oprah’s show celebrating talk show icons in 2010. Such a warm, super supportive and brilliant man. Grateful for the path he paved and the legacy he has left behind. May he rest in peace. ❤️

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"Phil Donahue wasn’t just a talk show host; he was the godfather of the genre," Montell Williams wrote in his own Instagram tribute. "He broke barriers with audience participation on pressing issues, setting a standard that many of us strive to live up to. My heart goes out to his family. Rest in peace, Phil. Your legacy will live on."

Sally Jesse Raphael was among many who took to X/Twitter with her tribute, writing, "This is a very sad day. I admired Phil Donahue for so many reasons, and he was one of the finest broadcasters in American television. If there wasn't a Phil, there would have never been a Sally. My thoughts & prayers go out to Marlo and their family. #RIP #Legend #talkshows."

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