50 YEARS ON MEMORIES FROM THE MIKE WALSH SHOW

Laughs were aplenty, as Mike's flamboyant sidekicks reveal

- Craig Bennett.

With his trusty clipboard in hand and perched in his swivel chair, Mike Walsh shot to fame as the king of daytime TV in the '70s and '80s, presiding over a 90-minute mix of compelling interviews and guests so entertaining that millions of viewers tuned in each weekday.

"Rarely a day goes by that someone doesn't mention The Mike Walsh Show to me," says former showbiz reporter John-Michael Howson, 86, from his Melbourne home. "It was such a fabulous era of true variety television, and I'm blessed to have been part of the magic," he enthuses.

John-Michael found a legion of fans as Mike's champagne-swilling, globetrotting showbiz and royal reporter. He recalls first meeting the former radio DJ, now 84, at dinner parties in the '60s. "I wrote some comedy for Mike in his early TV career, then shortly after the Walsh Show started, I was invited on to tell stories of old stars and obscure royals because Mike found them hilarious. One spot turned into a twice-weekly appearance.

"It was Mike who christened me 'Hollywood Howson! I still pinch myself to think I was paid to travel the world, attending the Oscars, covering royal weddings and interviewing legends like Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, Roger Moore and Paul Newman.

"On the flip-side, I remember interviewing Tommy Lee Jones, who was so uninterested I got up and walked out.

SELF-DEPRECATING