Sir Michael Parkinson’s son, director Mike Parkinson, has claimed his dad suffered from “imposter syndrome”.

The broadcaster died earlier this month at the age of 88.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Last Word programme on Thursday, Mike revealed his journalist father was “very class-ridden” and felt as though he was looked down upon at the BBC.

“There were people in positions of authority, at the BBC, that were questioning his talent, questioning his right to be an interviewer,” the director explained to host John Wilson. “He was always acutely aware that he was with people that he felt were brighter than him, were more educated than him.”

Mike continued, “He went to the BBC, and he felt very much… not inferior, (but) he was very insecure. He was a man who was constantly questioning himself and didn’t have as much self-confidence as he appeared to have on television.”

He added that his father’s confidence grew in the 1990s when his chat show Parkinson returned to the BBC “because he’d earned his stripes”.

Sir Michael’s career saw him interview guests such as Orson Welles, John Wayne, Sir Michael Caine, Madonna, John Lennon, Muhammad Ali, and others.

Tributes from around the world came in following Sir Michael’s death, including from Elton John, David Attenborough and Caine, with the latter calling the chat show host “charming” and “irreplaceable”.

– Cover Media