Refresh for updates… Oprah Winfrey paid tribute to Phil Donahue today, calling the late daytime talk show host a “trailblazer.”
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"There would be no Oprah Show without Phil Donahue being the first to prove that daytime talk shows and the women who watch them should be taken seriously," she posted on Instagram (below). "He was a trailblazer. I'm glad I got to thank him for that. Rest in peace Phil 🙏🏽🕊️
Former talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael wrote on X: "This is a very sad day. I admired Phil Donahue for so many reasons, and he was one of the best announcers on American television. If there had been no Phil, there would never have been a Sally. My thoughts and prayers go out to Marlo and their family."
Indeed, Donahue, who died today at age 88, treated his studio audiences with respect and is seen as an early advocate for women, giving his mostly female audiences the chance to speak and ask questions about serious topics rather than the home and family topics that so many daytime speakers focused on.
