Sir Michael Parkinson on his struggle with alcohol: – My wife called me ugly | SVT/TV 2/Skavlan

did you did you ever yourself drink that I know that much obviously but as much more than you should why did more than know I did I went I died was that I was not far of being alcoholic at one point I was thinking far too heavily what kind of poured out my throat I mean those and I was I had this discipline where I wouldn't drink after Thursday in a week soon do short Saturday so I had three days where I was that kept me sane but I went I sought psychiatric help and I had that and I went to a doctor him and all that and then he just put me straight he said listen in the end he stuck to you is he do you want to keep on drinking and maybe die from drinkin lose your career and I thought that's a no-brainer but I knew drunk still think of it that all you see they think of the good times they're having how did Mary handled it very well I mean she was bit pitiless she once said to me I mean she was the real reason why I changed she said to me do you know what your problem is when you're drunk and I said no she said you're ugly driver Michael welcome thank you this is this is kind of surreal for me as I have stolen so much from you even the chairs I know this that I told them where I found my old chairs from the series I did here I obviously you you were you were always well prepared I mean you're famous but but did you also have a need for control I don't think you do not see it you can't go in there thinking it's their wrestling match is that serious it's a dialogue between two people and there comes a moment in time when you you've snared and maybe where you are getting closer and closer to that relationship sometimes it doesn't work but it's the most fascinating job in all of television I think the other thing of an interview is really really fascinating is to be down analyze what it is happened the difference between men and women I mean men of not collegiate at all men will come on like I'm here the first guest I'd then move there the man comes Ronny sits like that you seen that women don't do that they turn right and they talk to you a collegiate that's not a wonderful thing to do in groups of people because they gossip naturally amongst the men they won't do that they're competitive all those little things that you know go to make up they the fascination of this job did you always have those three questions the head in your hand no I just said the one I mean I have a very good memory and I'd go down an avenue and arguing there I go to a crossroads it there and I go right or left depending on what's happened you have to plot it in a very loose way but you have to plot it and you have to do the research you know that otherwise you're floundering your party you're gonna see you have no life dogs you know but I mean you're sitting here now with with an actress and a comedian yes he's like every north come to comedian I've ever met never say no it's not a lie well this big laughs well I love comedians are these Muslim in the world do you think though as as guests were they easier than the actress no they there what is a typical job it's a tough job and also too if they're coming on they're not doing their routine and they're trying to answer your question it's difficult for them to be don't funny as fun as with a little routine but that if you get one going that would just worthwhile I mean Billy Connolly was my favorite comedian Robin Williams people like that that wonderful woman what was the name oh the Jewish Brady oh yeah comedian Dada she now their own talk show she was Joan Rivers Joan Rivers I still gotta get Joan Rivers for instance I mean she was wonderful extraordinary she really was loved dangerous and all that sort of thing and extremely funny in your show well I mean the thing that that's that's the most difficult thing in the world and you know this better than anybody else is to make somebody laugh it really is and and it's the most difficult thing is to do it cold as well in a kind of situation like this but when it happens when it works it's magical makes all those frustrating days worthwhile do you think do you think Michael that there is a difference between celebrity today and celebrity back well yeah I mean when I started I got they they're so residue of Hollywood you know so that I started interviewing in 1959 63 interviewing on television that I've done a lot before that in media but the difference was that when I said ladies and gentlemen my next guest is Fred Astaire they'd never seen Fred Astaire alive they'd only seen in a 30-foot high on a screen they didn't have Facebook to find out all about Fred Astaire to know all about the man or woman when they walked on and that's a big difference I feel sorry for interviews today because there's no mystery there's nothing to unravel I had a story which I could pick out and tell and hold them in fascination hopefully but today they know it they know the story entertain me tell me another joke I've heard that one where you going very difficult indeed I had the best of it without a single shadow of a doubt and I'm rather glad I'm not doing it today because it's been much more difficult I had a cakewalk but did you did you find it difficult to find the right the right timing for it for for ending I don't think so I mean it's a roll out of space you've got a ask the question to which there's an interesting answer and all that stuff you know but it was better when you talk to people who hadn't expressed their life Opperman for it to people and also when they'd had a career I mean some of these people ain't like Fred Astaire they made a hundred movies you know I mean they weren't just like one or two overnight success these were great stars when I said ladies and gentlemen my next guest is James Cagney there's a gasp in the audience oh I mean James Cagney more ever seen like this no not at all they never had so it was wonderful he was like you know going around a wonderful museum for the very first time pointing out people in glass cases but were you aware of that at the time well yeah well I was aware of the fact that I was I was privileged because what happened when I first started in the television business it coincided with Hollywood aligned this stars freedom up till that point they're not allowed this is early 60s 63 they're not allowed their people to go on television I thought because the television was a devil spawn television would ruin everything all that sort of thing eventually they got the message and then allowed them on and of course so therefore I was there right in the very beginning when it all came flooding down the stairs I was nervous I think I know that you had a special soft spot for a Swedish actress miserly at first love yeah absolutely yeah well it's just as much yes of course well anybody who saw her in Casablanca fell for I mean a director took two days to lighter and there's a wife taking so long and so because when they see her they audience every man has to fall in love with her we all did and how old were you then I suppose I'll be about 12 I have a adult tastes one thing I was there a bigger sense of trust between celebrity and the journalists back then because now nowadays you can't really control where the information go it's a very interesting point and certainly to with the reaction that you get on Instagram and stuff like that you know there are these awful trolls coming in and say terrible things oh he looked awful nice or they they didn't have that at all so yes they were supremely confident I think from that point of view again you've raised a very interesting point I mean fancy doing a little today being frightened of what they're gonna say about you on the internet I don't think about that I said it's impossible to ask really I'm glad I did it that I could I would hate to do it now have you as a person never been shy shy I'm quite shy I've been shy all my life but I took me a long time to get married I was no I'm not I'm not I'm not an extrovert in that sense at all although when I'm when I'm working then then you have to have a confidence in what you do and that's a different thing then you're not allowed to be shy you have to be somebody else in a sense it's an act we all know we all do so how do you meet I mean you've been married for like 60 years yes six years this year we survived did we have a lot of divorces in Sweden and Norway so that's why so how did you how did you manage to to get hurt well I'm never in all my life lived further away than ten miles from marrying my wife because we bought have been in might in the mining area in Yorkshire and meri awaz father worked in one coal field and my dad worked in the other cold so without knowing that we met eventually when I was a journalist or a local paper she was a schoolteacher she was going off to a meeting on a bus and I sat next to her fell in love with her friends I got a friend who make the date and and then from that point on I drew the repair had any questions for her no I prepared a scenario but I wanted to actually she had a boyfriend at the time and I wanted to go to they did a hotel where we danced and they Saturday evenings and I wanted to play on the in the band to play a certain song and at that precise moment in terms it played I wanted to interrupt him and said pardon me but I like to dance with your father and he would say to me she's mine I said no she's buying I'm gonna marry her no no no I told you do to it through with a friend oh yeah we had a romance in a nice four months and I I proposed to it and the seafront of scum and and we've been married I've got three children and five grandchildren and everything's fine now they were very happy Mary looks wonderful she soon as they as attractive as ever and of course she underneath extorted career she was a teacher and then when I was doing an afternoon show on ITV showing really women very early on she was asked by the program control that he asked me would I mind if he screen tested her go she looks fantastic and she did the screen test and she was very bright lady very good interior others my favorite stories of all I was sitting next to her a high power Tory politician at the time of mrs. Thatcher this eventful that's cool milk she actually balanced cool milk so my wife being an ex teacher was up in arms about this so they sent a junior minister down to talk to Mary about this situation started the show I started the show LinkedIn to her and sitting next to me was a Tory grandi a real Tory or whatever and he's looking at this young Minister was trying to deal with Miriam they tore him apart absolutely brilliantly destroyed him and he's ended up much annoyed with in any case but he but in the grunting that when she finished and handed back to me to go into a break he was on the floor lashes or so and I could feel his Tory grandly next to me tiny like this demolition job went on and why are you linked into the commercial break he turned to mr. good God if it didn't see that I said I did he said I'd hate me married to [Music] do you think if you think if I asked her if she's no need for 60 years since before you became Parkinson do you think she would say that television changed you yes I think so I think she might say that anything it does I mean you have to as I said I'm not and so we're really extra bit personal I'm quite shy in many ways I don't need to get a real sense of will to get on there and believe that you have to do this because you know you're in the spotlight and so we're gonna do it don't go being coy about it you're gonna do it face up to I think what he does that I think oh yeah I've never known an actress who wasn't that way you know I mean I think you have to be to actually do the job properly I mean you walk on say I am the greatest actress in the world it's Bette Davis you know now you're not are you you're a vulnerable human being they see that's what you are doing a particular job you the best your ability yeah I never met a great former who was arrogant I didn't curse you can't because you do know that no matter how good you are one day one day it will all go your fold on your face but yeah so how's your wife your wife has just has she been involved in your questions oh you should ask her this you should ask her out she does a speed like that by the way for your Tori impressive like the toys sorry Turkish oil man so your wife is here oil or [ __ ] no because she bitching can be she I think she wrote that she's not really no Sarah coal miners right had she been doing inputs in your questionnaires no no no no she leaves me alone I left her alone - absolutely I mean you can't do other people's interviews for well one one person that that was changed by success in a way was George best the footballer yes whom you of whom you've written your second book now well that's it I've written many books but I've written two books no serious about people are particularly new or Muhammad Ali and George best and best was the most glamorous but this is it's the second book about George best as well you wrote about him I don't know I wrote about Ali first of all there are what about George best but I've written many books Omar because I'm a journalist basically I've been jailed so much it came from writing I did yeah I mean a journalist now for well I'd started when I was 16 7 16 when I started until he was just an addition it was a it was a toy no we saw a demo George I knew I was him I'd started a Granada television in Manchester in 1963 and I was read there doing a daily show and I was producing the show and a guy ran up I'd say and and said to me one day he said we are a new group coming up from London you should interview the lead singer he said because he's a bright lad and I thought I should get one of your reporters to do another report I wanna be famous then my job I'll do it and I did my first interview was with Mick Jagger that's in 1963 from that point on I liked it so much but I actually continued doing it and not producing anymore so that was the start of it so tell me tell me about George best because he he he was really I mean you you written a book about the Abbott she's his he was really changed by success George of seventeen years of age when he came to Manchester and went to that wonderful team of they had Matt Busby was Elijah my husband looking since the air crash which killed all his players he was looking for one man who would actually he thought take him into Europe to win the European Cup and he found him in this 17 year old waif from Northern Ireland he was about the shape of a cocktail stick when I met him and the wait about four stone it's a bit of an exaggeration but he was a child but by God is a talented child and more than that he was a beautiful child I've never seen a more handsome player in my life than George was it ever since physically emotional or you know yeah and for the first time in Manchester I remember going there after of George being played for about a year you thought was different what was different was that the noise of the crowd there was a soprano section you know it's baritones and baisuzhen antennas and they're all of a sudden you know this over the top and that were those were girls that he's attracted to the game and from that point on I knew football changed it changed it and it was as much about being that that kind of representation of sex symbol if you like as it was about any gift to the others football but as a footballer he had all the gifts he was a wonderful president could he could he handle that stardom from who could he's a 17 year old boy from from from the back door of he had no training at all in this he's a kid I went to a local school or he just had a sublime gift and he just had the most beautiful face and of course you know both in the end conspired to actually bring him down really what he had a wonderful time I never knew a footballer or a better time than George you must remember it yeah for sure I mean I grew up you know in the 70s late 70s was a legend he was like the first of course Pele was like a superstar but George Best's was sort of the modern pop star football no you went again the argument who is better Maradona Pele George best that's a silly oh they're all great players what George had what those didn't I was six appeal and that was part of his problem and part of is appeal I mean he had a huge female following and I've never seen anybody attract women I'd like to sorry of all kinds of shapes and sizes he was amazing and it's besotted by them too and he became a heavy drinker yes he will drink we all drank a lot in those days I mean I remember football the walking through the plate glass doors of Granada television leave I'm pressured there but that was the only channel around ever said be careful with the drink before I read didn't matter I see people drunk out their heads on television what it used to happen in those days it was a bit like the Wild West you know I'm George as part of that culture footballers drank too we all drank it was a silly time did you have did the drunken guests on oh I wanted to drunk again I never got myself um this is true because I did you know it's like you go and tell me to get the lights on you know that's all they're all like pancakes off and you you've gone your frazzled yeah so I never did that there are a lot of people did and a lot of footballers did too and I'm George of course got the money he had the the fame he had all the adulation and and it was it was it made him giddy and in that sense and it was a tragic figure in the end he became a sad drunk as people do he became for long he became defenseless and you see him in a pub and you'd walk away because you didn't want to face the fact that your mate who you loved was actually looking less than pretty did did you yeah I mean he was you're you're not only favorite guest of yours but he was a friend also it was it was it was a great friend you should come down to our house and he used to always chuck of like a balls into the room for my three songs to play with him and they play football all day long I'd sometimes get some of my friends some are more famous to come down and see him because they'd like to bring their kids down and you would ignore them totally but he play with their kids he played football with him a Mitel my son was here today it was a wonderful story he was about six or seven and the next John they shattered Sunday George played football with in our garden who next day went to school on the isn't a Catholic school a nun and she said to her soon what do you do this weekend and they also went for riding the park Dada and for example he said yes Michael what do you do it's not football with George Best's she said don't tell terrible lies by it wasn't all we're going to do and she made her sat in the corner so this is a great setting so next time as George best came down Mike said to George George I got detention because of you were talking of a story i George said give me that football got a football rifle boy all right to sistersong so this is to tell you that Michael did not tell a lie he did play football and they love George best did you have did you experience that that moment with with George you when you when you try to avoid him that you didn't want to be with him because he was such a thing you scars you that sort of thing but he s still tangent I didn't want to be with him the times when I'd I wanted to do I suppose disassociating myself from him but they started that with all drugs with me you know they had highly amusing themselves but not to you or throw up particularly if you are not drawn with them that's the problem but not too often I mean I think I remain and then I couldn't go to a hospital to watch him because I've been told I mean turned yellow and all that he was dying and I didn't want to see that I mean you know and I was away in Australia when when he died and and I still feel bad about being away when he did die but but nonetheless I mean we're more than made up for it when we were together when he was not drunk you know and when he was in his prime and and I treasured moments of his disciple never forget as a player and as the man did you did you ever yourself drink that I not that much obviously but as much more than you should why did more than no I did I went I died was that I was not far of being alcoholic at one point I was thinking far too heavily what kind of poured out my throat I mean those and I was I had this discipline where I wouldn't drink after Thursday in a week so dude short Saturday so I know three days where I was that kept me sane but I went I sought psychiatric help and I had that and I went to a doctor him and all that and then he just put me straight he said listen in the end it's up to you it's a do you want to keep on drinking and maybe die from drinkin lose your career and I thought that's a no-brainer but I knew drunks don't think of it that all you see they think of the good times they're having how did Mary handled it very well I mean she was bit pitiless she once said to me I mean she was the real reason why I changed she said to me do you know what your problem is when you're drunk I said no she said you're ugly it's slightly vain but they tried every other password every other word you know the ugly was there I thought no I'll tell you I'm not and so I saw it wasn't as easy as that it never is but but you have to if you've got any any sense but do you think it was likely the pressure from stardom that made you drink there was it no that's an easy way out that's bold frankly I mean I'm sort of that such bull I know I didn't I mean that's a convenient excuse and that's no good doing that I mean if you start making given a convenient excuses of yourself like that you're never gonna stop so why do you think you drank y ou said I was unhappy or I was happy I don't know which I mean I was in a convivial situation I mean I came out to Fleet Street police didn't know here that's the streets of dreams used to be for all the newspapers and when I was down there it was a bit like Dodge City without the sheriff I mean he was full of saloons the tempting maidens and drink and all that so that you couldn't help but go there so by the time I got into television I had a sieve up you know I was where I was a seasoned drinker so I had to learn to be a not to be that and that was the difference but there's that's right served my apprenticeship in free Street it's it's not a healthy life journalism as it okay no no really I mean it's a I can't think of any other life actually I've done it all my life since I was 16 so I owe you were actually there when commercials plane went down weren't you when in Congo you went to Congo to meet Hamas sure I did the UN I need to be able the biggest mistakes of my life I was standing on a perimeter fence with an old Germans called Sylvain's Lea from The Daily Express he was coming out leaving the Congo I was going in and we saw this plane cabin and we saw two or three people get up about half a mile away and all the pressur he arrived that sort of thing and I said to Cyril after a while I said well are you not gonna write anything he said what I'm gonna write I saw that Hamish olds arrival did you see doc how am I sure isn't I said yes I said you didn't see you saw a man leave the plane could ride identify him at that commercial I said no he saw that's why I'm not files and of course he was the only one who didn't file and I'm sure of course is dead he crashed ten miles away great lesson to a young German this and tell me Michael who-who was your Holy Grail who was the one you never got on your show Sinatra Sinatra mmm-my Dixon Archer is the greatest artist a great singer of any man woman in the 20th back to 20th century they're like a wonderful wonderful singer I tried very hard I got four friendly with a van a row song stream called Sammy Cahn they took me to a party in LA and I met synapse and Sinatra said Sammy casa trying to meet Mike Parkinson he does a great talk showing him banging Mike Frank and I saw everything I know and then I wondered around this the Sammy went off somewhere else I wonder I didn't know anybody love me at Frank Sinatra I'm so I thought a half an hour to can't go away so I'm one of the Sinatra said I'm leaving now we started nice to meet you and hopefully I'll see you in London they said sure thing David he said really made a mafia well then I have to say Michael that you are my Sinatra thank you so much for for being here hope you enjoyed the clip for more interesting conversations please hit subscribe

Channel: Skavlan

Views: 519,322

Rating: 4.7996845 out of 5

Keywords: Skavlan, interview, talk show, Fredrik skavlan, talkshow, sir, michael, parkinson, mary, alchohol, alchoholism, alcoholic, drink, heavy drinking, george, best, full, alkoholiker, scandinavian, british, legend, tv, bbc, host, parky

Id: 6P82zdeml-w

Length: 27min 25sec (1645 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 04 2019