Kylie: Dealing with the haters

In this clip from Parkinson in 2002, veteran broadcaster Michael Parkinson speaks with Kylie Minogue about the secret behind her longevity.  

The classic TV talk show elements that made the show a success since its first episode in 1971 are evident here, including the candid, personal reflections Parkinson elicits from his famous guests.

It’s refreshing to see Kylie alluding to the anger she feels when thinking back to how she was dismissed as a ‘singing budgie’ by critics at the start of her music career in the late 1980s, saying succinctly, ‘there is a tiny place in me called rage for that time’.

There is something about Parkinson’s approach that is disarming for guests and enables them to show a more vulnerable, introspective side. Here, we see him building trust and rapport with Kylie when he shares his admiration about her not letting critics see they’d hurt her. It feels more like a conversation than a journalistic interview.

Although Kylie will always call Australia home, she has been living in the UK for decades and references the immense goodwill towards her there.

Notes by Beth Taylor