Phil Donahue's Inspiring Quotes: 4 Moving and Must-Read Messages From the Late TV Show Host

TV show host, 20-time Emmy winner and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom Phil Donahue died  on Sunday, August 18, 2024, from a prolonged illness, his family confirmed. He was 88 years old, and best known for his celebrated career as the host of  The Phil Donahue Show. Life in the public eye allowed Donahue to drop messages of wisdom, laughter and love – his best quotes now serving as part of his powerful legacy. 

The Donahue family did not offer further insights into the illness he was battling but did confirm to TODAY that he was surrounded by his wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, his children and grandchildren, his sister and his golden retriever, Charlie, at the time of his passing. 

Donahue was born on December 21, 1935, in Cleveland, Ohio, and began his career in media in the late 1950s. In 1967, he started The Phil Donahue Show, which ran in Ohio until 1970 and then again in Chicago, Illinois, from 1970 until 1985, before landing in New York City from 1985 until the show wrapped in 1996. 

The show itself was groundbreaking, covering controversial and charged topics like prison reform, child abuse in Catholic churches, racism and feminism. To honor him, and his legacy, we have rounded up his four best quotes on his work, life and love.  

Phil Donahue’s quotes on his talk show 

Even after his talk show ended, Donahue still wanted to be a host, telling PEOPLE, "I do miss it occasionally. Sometimes, I'll shout my question to a guest on the screen and hope they'll somehow hear me." 

"But to be honest, even though the medium has changed a bit — the sets are fancier, the productions are slicker, and the hosts are thankfully more diverse — all of the talk shows still cleave to the one thing that laid at the foundation of the 7,000 episodes I taped.”  

Phil Donahue’s quotes on his secret to marriage  

Thomas and Donahue met in 1977 when she appeared in his show. They got married in 1980, and had a blended family of five children before his death. The secret to their many years of success? Communication, with Donahue saying, “The secret of good communication? Screaming helps. At least then, you know whether the person you're screaming at is listening. Then go in the other room and count to 10."  

He also shared, “A little humor certainly in a marriage goes a long way." 

 Thomas is an actress best known for her work That Girl (1965 to 1971), Friends (1996 to 2002) and Ocean’s Eight (2018) and admitted that her favorite marriage tip was the three L’s. “Love, listening and lust…You have to listen, and then you'll know what the other person is really thinking and going through. You have to love each other. And without lust, you don't have anything." 

Phil Donahue’s quotes on his favorite thing to do  

Donahue had one favorite thing to do with his wife, and we have to say we love it! Said the television host, “[I love] curling up on the couch in front of the TV with a big bowl of popcorn. I like to call it 'Netflix and Phil.'" 

The late talk show host added this into his routine after the pandemic, recalling that he was “determined to get back to a slower pace.” 

Phil Donahue’s quotes about his awards 

Donahue had 20 Emmy awards and a Presidential Medal of Freedom to his name at the time of his death. His wife, Thomas, has also taken home numerous awards throughout her career including her own Presidential Medal of Freedom, revealing, "We don't have a trophy room even though we could probably use one for Phil – the man won 20 Emmys. But we keep our awards in our own studies. The medals, however, are different. I had mine framed and I can't wait to frame Phil's and hang it right next to it." 

Donahue added onto that by saying, "His and hers medals, side by side. In a way, it's kinda romantic." 

May Phil Donahue rest in peace. 

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