Journalist Melissa Hoyer recalls spending life-changing night with Michael Parkinson with the TV legend ‘cracking some very naughty jokes’ – following his death at age 88

Melissa Hoyer has revealed how spending an evening interviewing Michael Parkinson changed her life. 

The journalist met the TV legend at the height of his career and their chat rolled into  a dinner date with Parkinson, his publicist and friends. 

‘I recall Parky cracking some very naughty jokes, talking about cricket and actually asking about what I did with genuine interest’ she wrote in her column for Yahoo.

Melissa scored an exclusive that night, as well as walking away with several tips that aided her own journalist career. 

‘I can happily say that my early fixation with him is what has stood me in good stead throughout my career’ she said. 

‘I recall Parky cracking some very naughty jokes, talking about cricket and actually asking about what I did with genuine interest’ she wrote in her column for Yahoo. Parkinson pictured 

‘The many things I learned from Parkinson – from watching him on TV and then having the amazing fortune of meeting him –  will remain with me forever.’

Sir Michael Parkinson died aged 88 on August 16. 

Michael, who was fondly called ‘Parky’ by friends and fans, passed away surrounded by his wife Lady Mary and their children at his Berkshire. 

The down-to-earth Yorkshireman, the son of a coal miner, became one of the most famous names in Britain after his seminal interviews with Muhammad Ali, John Lennon, Billy Connolly, Orson Welles and most of the world’s biggest stars in an extraordinary TV career spanning five decades.

There were also wildly comical – and uncomfortable interviews – including being attacked while speaking to Rod Hull and Emu as well as a prickly Meg Ryan in 20 years of more than 2,000 BBC interviews beamed into up to 17million homes on a Saturday night.

Sir Michael Parkinson died aged 88 on August 16. Pictured in 2006 with Jane Fonda

In 1971, he spoke to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, in one of his earliest episodes of his seminal show

He said his greatest regret was never being able to interview Frank Sinatra – and recently revealed that Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was his most formidable interviewee.

Parky presented his programme Parkinson from 1971 to 1982 and again from 1998 to 2004 on the BBC. He then switched to ITV where his chat show ran from 2004 to 2007. 

He was last seen in public in April. The cricket-mad journalist was frail as he celebrated his friend Dickie Bird’s 90th birthday bash at Headingley, Leeds. 

His last TV appearance was last November.

Michael, who was fondly called ‘Parky’ by friends and fans, passed away surrounded by his wife Lady Mary and their children at his Berkshire. Pictured right, in April