Phil Donahue, the groundbreaking daytime talk show host of “The Phil Donahue Show,” has died. He was 88.
He died Sunday “peacefully after a long illness,” his family said in a statement to “Today.” Donahue was a contributor to the NBC morning show.
Donahue was known for bringing the audience into the talk-show format, engaging with them just as he did with the notable and eclectic list of guests on the show, including Nelson Mandela, Dolly Parton and Richard Pryor.
Donahue received the Presidential Medal of Freedom along with 18 others in May.
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