Parkinson announces chat-show retirement

Michael Parkinson, the chat-show host, has announced his retirement. His final series, on ITV1, will be broadcast this autumn.

But Parkinson, 72, who joined ITV in 2004 after defecting from the BBC, said he does not plan to quit television altogether. "After three enjoyable and productive years at ITV, and after 25 years of doing my talk show, I have decided that this forthcoming series will be my last," he said. "I'm going to take next year off to write my autobiography and consider other television projects. My thanks go out to all those who have worked on the shows down the years and the viewers for their loyal support and occasional kind words."

Parkinson's eponymous chat show began on BBC1 in 1971. He hosted it on and off until 2004, when he quit the corporation in a row over scheduling. BBC bosses had tried to move the Saturday night show to make way for Match Of The Day, after winning back the rights to show Premiership highlights. Parkinson responded by switching to ITV.

Mark Wells, executive producer of his ITV show, said: "Truly, this is the end of an era. Michael Parkinson is one of the giants of broadcasting. His skills as a talk-show host are quite simply the best in the world. The Parkinson show has been a part of the British Saturday night for so long, it's hard to imagine life without it."

Parkinson started out as a local newspaper journalist in South Yorkshire and worked as a television news reporter before moving into entertainment. His BBC chat show was required viewing throughout the 1970s and featured memorable interviews with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Richard Burton and George Best.

Parkinson has also presented the TV-AM breakfast show, Give Us A Clue and Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. He will continue to host a Sunday lunchtime show on Radio 2. The last series of Parkinson on ITV1 will return in the autumn for a 12-week run.

Paul Jackson, ITV's director of entertainment and comedy, said: " [Parkinson] has defined the talk show in British television and no one has come near to equalling his record.

"His name is synonymous throughout the English-speaking world as a benchmark for integrity and quality in the talk-show genre, and being invited to appear on his show is a recognised landmark in any star's career.

"We are delighted to be talking to Michael about new projects for 2008 and we will be working with him and his team to ensure that this last series sends him off in the style which he so richly deserves."