It’s no secret Michael Parkinson and Meg Ryan didn’t hit it off during their difficult interview in 2003 – but the veteran chat show host really let rip off-camera.
The Hollywood star appeared on Parky’s show to promote her critically panned thriller In The Cut and their frosty exchange became one of the most memorable interviews from the presenter’s career.
It got so uncomfortable that Ryan literally told Parkinson to ‘wrap it up’.
Sat next to Ryan were Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine, two of the most talked about duos on television as hosts of What Not To Wear at the time.
Appearing on Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett’s Waitrose podcast Dish, Trinny reflected on having a front-row seat for the ‘iconic’ moment.
‘I do remember something very specifically, god rest Mr. Parkinson,’ she said.
‘When we left, he whispered in my ear and went, “God, wasn’t she a c***?”
Trinny backed up Parkinson, blasting Ryan for refusing to respond to simple questions despite being ‘paid millions’ to encourage viewers to watch her movie.
She continued: ‘We had done our interview and then they bring in the main star because we were the warm-up act, you know, so usually they then have tons of time and you might be able to throw in one question.
‘He was so desperate that we threw in quite a few questions just to ease off the, um, difficult party atmosphere.’
In 2021, Parkinson offered an apology to Ryan, admitting: ‘I wish I hadn’t lost my temper with Meg Ryan. I wish I’d dealt with it in a more courteous manner.’
He told Radio Times: ‘I was quite obviously angry with her and it’s not my business to be angry towards the guests. I came across as kind of pompous and I could have done better.’
Ryan went on to call Parkinson a ‘nut’ and compared him to a ‘disapproving dad’.
Parkinson died in 2023, aged 88, after a ’brief illness’.
Dish from Waitrose is available on all podcast providers.
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