A TV legend has died.
Phil Donahue, a longtime TV host and the husband of Marlo Thomas, died Aug. 18, his family confirmed to NBC News. He was 88.
“Groundbreaking TV talk show journalist Phil Donahue died Sunday night at home surrounded by his wife of 44 years Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, grandchildren and his beloved golden retriever Charlie,” his family said in a statement. “Donahue was 88 years old and passed away peacefully following a long illness.”
The longtime TV personality first kickstarted his career in the late ‘60s with The Phil Donahue Show, later renamed simply Donahue, which introduced the concept of studio audience participation on TV shows for the first time. The show ran through 1996 and earned Donahue a total of 20 Emmy Awards.
Donahue also made a slew of appearances on popular shows like Blossom, The Bold & the Beautiful, Who’s the Boss?, Ellen and Frasier often playing a version of himself.