Sir Michael Parkinson: Sir David Attenborough and David Beckham lead tributes

Stars who were interviewed by Sir Michael Parkinson implicit the years - from Sir David Attenborough to David Beckham - person paid tribute to the "TV legend" pursuing his decease astatine the property of 88.

Sir Michael interviewed galore of the world's biggest stars connected his long-running self-titled chat show.

Dame Judi Dench told BBC Radio 4's PM programme Sir Michael was "a one-off".

"I don't retrieve being frightened of being interviewed by Michael, due to the fact that it was conscionable similar talking to a truly bully friend," she said.

"His enjoyment and emotion of doing it, it was a implicit joyousness to watch. He ne'er shunned asking a nonstop question."

In his tribute, Sir Elton added: "I loved his institution and his unthinkable cognition of cricket and Barnsley Football Club. A existent icon who brought retired the precise champion successful his guests."

Beckham appeared connected Parkinson with woman Victoria successful 2001, erstwhile she famously revealed his Goldenballs nickname.

The erstwhile footballer wrote: "I was truthful fortunate to not conscionable beryllium interviewed by Michael but to beryllium capable to walk precious clip talking astir shot and family, our 2 passions. Plus the GoldenBalls moment…"

Actor Sir Michael Caine said: "Michael Parkinson was irreplaceable, helium was charming, ever wanted to person a bully laugh. He brought the champion of everyone helium met. Always looked guardant to beryllium interviewed by him."

A connection from the chat amusement host's household connected Thursday said: "After a little unwellness Sir Michael Parkinson passed distant peacefully astatine location past nighttime successful the institution of his family.

"The household petition that they are fixed privateness and clip to grieve."

As told to BBC Radio 4's The World At One

As a viewer, you knew if Michael was asking the questions, determination were going to beryllium bully questions, and they would elicit bully answers.

As a web controller, I thought helium was the champion freelance interviewer successful the business. He was ever knowledgeable, helium was perfectly classless. You knew helium was not a southerner, you knew helium was a northerner, and that was a precise refreshing dependable successful those days.

You knew that helium would bash his homework, and that helium would inquire questions that didn't hap to you, arsenic good arsenic those that did. I thought helium was the champion interviewer successful the concern astatine that time.

He was highly generous. He wanted you to shine, and not peculiarly himself. He would ever laughter astatine your jokes, and springiness you an accidental to marque them dependable funnier than successful information they were. When you were told that helium was going to beryllium the interviewer, it was similar gathering a friend. Though successful information we didn't conscionable precise often, but you knew that helium was connected your broadside arsenic overmuch arsenic connected his own.

He was Saturday nighttime television, and there's cipher similar him doing the benignant of things that helium did erstwhile his vocation was astatine its height. Television doesn't springiness that benignant of abstraction to interviews these days, to its loss, and of people Michael did it amended than anybody.

I retrieve helium was interviewing maine and Billy Connolly together, and of people Billy Connolly made some of america laughter a batch but helium laughed adjacent astatine my jokes, and my stories, and, arsenic it were, looked aft maine to marque definite I wasn't swamped by Billy Connolly, who is aft each a precise large character.

With Michael, it was ever friendly, ever thorough, ever intelligent, ever a pleasance to bash it, and I deliberation that came implicit nary substance who his interviewee was.

He ever knew what the absorbing bits were, and helium steered you done that benignant of thing. He was ever generous successful the mode helium framed his questions. He wanted you, his interviewee, to shine.

I didn't ever spot him uncomfortable, helium was unflappable. It didn't substance what you did, whether it was a puppet that tried to devour him, oregon if helium was interviewing a large intellect, helium was ever successful charge, but not dominantly so.

Comedian and question presenter Sir Michael Palin described the broadcaster arsenic "incisive and precise sharp".

Sir Michael told The World At One: "He wanted to get radical connected his amusement who entertained him and truthful who helium thought would entertain the audience. He was not picky. He was not trying to diss anybody. He was an enthusiast and helium was precise positive.

"It didn't ever work," helium noted. "In immoderate cases, [interviewees] suspected what they saw arsenic the hard questions helium mightiness inquire successful among each the amusive and the enjoyment.

"Because helium was a precise bully journalist, and a precise arrogant journalist, and it was precise important for him not to springiness radical an casual ride. But helium did fundamentally take radical helium liked, due to the fact that helium liked to beryllium entertained himself."

"[He was] loved by each the biggest stars successful the satellite and they were each hopeless to beryllium interviewed by him," she continued. "Funny, aforesaid deprecating, sharp, charming, strong, honorable and a fantastic listener. His bequest is enormous."

"We knew each different good done his charitable enactment successful my constituency and our communal passionateness for cricket. My thoughts and prayers are with his family," she added.

"But supra each other helium listened… successful a satellite afloat of noise," O'Leary added. "RIP Michael, acknowledgment for the education."

Boxer Frank Bruno praised Sir Michael's quality "to framework and acquisition wrapper the impermanent to present to the TV viewer".

TV presenter Piers Morgan said Sir Michael was the top of TV interviewers. "Wonderful character, large writer, sublimely talented broadcaster, and hilarious luncheon partner. Loved him," helium said.

"He besides enjoyed being interviewed. [I'm] fortunate to person had that pleasure. He was authentic, comic and charming. Thank you for being the best."

Ofcom president and erstwhile TV enforcement Sir Michael Grade described the chat amusement big arsenic "a maestro of his craft".

"He was charming, not aggressive, not looking for a inexpensive soundbite," helium told BBC News. "He prodded and probed, but helium wanted to springiness the stars the accidental to explicit themselves, archer america who they were.

"The amusement was astir who was on, it wasn't astir Michael, helium saw his relation truly arsenic a journalist, to get the champion retired of his subject. His room of interviews is similar a fashionable past of the 20th Century."

Sir Michael introduced the archetypal Parkinson amusement successful 1971 connected BBC television. The bid ran initially for 11 years and spanned hundreds of episodes successful which Sir Michael combined an avuncular benignant with a journalistic background.

He returned to the BBC successful 1998 for different tally of the show. Sir Michael estimated helium had interviewed much than 2,000 guests successful total. Of the galore celebrities helium interviewed, Sir Michael said Ali was his favourite.

His TV vocation besides included ITV's TV-am meal show, Give Us a Clue and BBC One's Going For a Song, portion helium had a three-year stint hosting Desert Island Discs connected BBC Radio 4 successful the 1980s.

He was made a CBE successful 2000 and was knighted successful 2008.

The presenter revealed helium was receiving radiotherapy attraction for prostate crab successful 2013, and said helium got the all-clear from doctors 2 years later.