David Attenborough and Elton John speak out on Michael Parkinson’s death

Stars such as Sir David Attenborough and Sir Elton John were among those to publicly commemorate Sir Michael Parkinson today after hearing the sad news of his death. They are among more than 2,000 subjects who were seen on-screen with the legendary broadcaster during his long career – and they have spoken warmly of him after learning he’d died last night aged 88. David declared Michael the “best freelance interviewer in the business” at the time when he’d been the controller of BBC Two. “He was extremely professional, you knew that he would know all the background and you didn’t have to fill in anything,” he continued. The 97-year-old added: “He was extremely generous, he wanted you to shine and would always laugh at your jokes and give you an opportunity to make them sound funnier than in fact they were.”