Sir David Attenborough honours ‘generous’ Sir Michael Parkinson in heartfelt tribute-Sabrina Barr-Entertainment – Metro

‘He was extremely generous,’ Sir David shared (Picture: Ken McKay/Rex/Shutterstock)

Sir David Attenborough has joined the plethora of people paying tribute to Sir Michael Parkinson following his death, saying that being interviewed by him was ‘like meeting a friend’.

On Thursday August 17, it was confirmed that the legendary talk show host had died aged 88.

On BBC Radio 4’s World At One, a pre-recorded tribute was broadcast from Sir David, which appeared to have been given over the phone.

The 97-year-old said that the celebrated TV personality was ‘extremely professional’, saying: ‘You knew he would know all the background and you didn’t have to fill in anything.’

‘He was always generous in the way he framed his questions,’ he continued. ‘He wanted you to shine, he wanted his interviewee to shine.’

Sir David added that Sir Michael ‘would always laugh at your jokes and give you an opportunity to make them sound funnier than in fact they were’.

The natural historian spoke about how Sir Michael’s northern English accent, was ‘a very refreshing voice in those days’ during the height of his TV career, while also stating that being interviewed by him was like ‘meeting a friend’.

During the Radio 4 broadcast of World At One, Sir Michael Palin, 80, also shared a tribute to the late Parkinson host.

‘He was an enthusiast, and that’s the thing about Michael – he wanted to get people on his show who entertained him and therefore he thought would entertain the audience.’

In an Instagram post, Sir Elton John shared a black-and-white photo of himself with Sir David, expressing how much he ‘loved’ his company.

Sir Elton (left) and Sir Michael (right) took part in a celebrity football match with Sir Rod Stewart (centre) in 1974 (Picture: Michael Putland/Getty Images)

‘Michael Parkinson was a TV legend who was one of the greats. I loved his company and his incredible knowledge of cricket and Barnsley Football Club,’ the singer wrote in his caption.

‘A real icon who brought out the very best in his guests. Condolences and love to Mary and his family.’

This is a breaking news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

For more stories like this, check our entertainment page.

Follow Metro.co.uk Entertainment on Twitter and Facebook for the latest celeb and entertainment updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.

MORE : Sir Michael Parkinson’s groundbreaking confession changed men’s views – and women’s lives – forever

MORE : From Meg Ryan to Muhammad Ali, Sir Michael Parkinson’s interviews that rocked the world as he dies aged 88

Entertainment – MetroRead More