Michael Parkinson has come clean with the ‘real’ reason as to why the long running chat show ended last November after 30 years! It would seem that ITV bosses regarded him as “too expensive” so therefore decided to end the show.
The 73 year old ledgend, Michael Parkinson, said that ITV’s Chairman Michael Grade thought he was costing too much and decided to pull the plug ont he show
“Michael Grade told me with a straight face that I was too expensive,” he said.
“Shortly after, we were talking about guests for the final show and someone at ITV mentioned Liz Taylor. They said they would go up to £250,000. Barmy idea - and I was too expensive?
“But I don’t want it to seem as though we left in an acrimonious fashion, because we didn’t. I would have liked one more series, to be frank, but my time had come to leave. I knew that.”
Parkinson began his BBC One chatshow in 1971 before switching to ITV in 2004 following a row with the corporation over scheduling.
After the final Parkinson aired, the host claimed that it had been the last remaining example of a true TV chatshow.