Michael Parkinson and Emu: When the presenter was terrorised by Rod Hull’s puppet in 1976

Legendary presenter incurred the wrath of ‘that bloody bird’ on his BBC series

Following the news that Michael Parkinson has died at the age of 88, a number of the presenter’s most famous interviews have been re-shared by fans.

Parkinson’s death was announced on Thursday (17 August) morning in a statement from his family.

Among the clips making the rounds is the chat show host’s eccentric 1976 interview with comedian Rod Hull and Emu, in which Parkinson was “terrorised” by the puppet bird.

In the clip, Parkinson is seen introducing the pair, at which point Emu grabs him by the nose using his beak.

After the Parkinson presenter reaches out to pet the bird’s head, he is snapped at again. The puppet then begins rubbing Parkinson’s head, before pecking at him and ripping up his notes.

Eventually, Emu begins pecking at Parkinson to such a furious degree that the presenter is toppled off his chair.

Billy Connelly, another guest on the series, joked that he would “break [Hull’s] arm” if the bird attempted to do the same to him.

Parkinson would go on to lament his encounter with “that bloody bird”, joking that it threatened to overshadow the rest of his illustrious seven-decade career.

Hull, meanwhile, who died in 1999, pared back the puppet’s onscreen antics following the drama.

Over the course of his seven-decade career, Parkinson interviewed hundreds of the world’s most prominent celebrities, including Muhammed Ali, Sir Elton John, Madonna, Sir Michael Caine, John Lennon, Orson Welles, Tom Hanks, Fred Astaire, John Wayne, and David Bowie.

Michael Parkinson and Emu (YouTube / BBC)

While he was praised for his memorable interviews with figures such as Ali, Parkinson’s interviews were occasionally the source of controversy.

A 1975 interview with Dame Helen Mirren went awry after the chat show host asked whether her physical attributes had “hindered” her career. Mirren responded: “Because serious actresses can’t have big bosoms, is that what you mean?”

In a 2017 interview with The Telegraph, Parkinson discussed the encounter, claiming that the “fuss” around it had been “silly”.

“You have to consider every situation according to the mood of the time, and at the time I didn’t cause a ripple. We had a row but nobody considered me unduly sexist. But now some people are making out it was like World War Three,” he said.

A bad-tempered 2003 interview with the actor Meg Ryan also saw Parkinson face scrutiny for his interviewing conduct.

In the wake of Parkinson’s death, a raft of public figures have paid tribute to his legacy, including Dara Ó Briain, Nick Robinson, Eddie Izzard and BBC director-genral Tim Davie.