Jeremy Fenech Talks With Legendary Game Show Host Prior To His Death

When you're a kid, you idolize people from your favorite movies, TV shows and in many cases... Game Shows! So when I had the chance to talk to the legendary host of fun, Wink Martindale, I was simply over the moon!

How Wink and Jeremy Became Friends

I remember coming home from work one day and telling my wife that I had to do an interview with someone that I didn't quite feel would appeal to my listening audience. At the time I was trying to create a podcast called 'Jeremy Fenech's Classic Conversations'.

READ MORE: Jeremy Fenech's Classic Conversations - Wink Martindale

My wife suggested that I try to reach out to people that I wanted to talk to, not just anyone. I told her that as a game show geek that I would've loved to interview Richard Dawson or Ray Combs from 'Family Feud' or Gene Rayburn from the 70s version of 'Match Game'.

But I remembered an icon from the 70s and 80s game show circuit who was a household name by then. Wilk Martindale. After a year of going back and forth with his agent due to availability issues, we finally got our 10-minute interview lined up.

Interviewing Wink Martindale

Conducting an interview with a former radio DJ, a legend in the game show world, and all around nice guy, I was incredibly nervous when I was given his secret phone number and called him at a certain time. When he answered it was absolutely sublime.

I felt as thought even though we had just met over the phone that he understood that I knew him for most of my life, and he just became a friend of mine from that moment on.

Remembering Wink Martindale

His real name was Winston Conrad Martindale but because of a mentally challenged friend in his neighborhood who couldn't say his nameche adopted 'Wink', a shortened version of 'Winky' that came from his friend.

To his wife, Sandy, I can't imagine the pain you are going through. To his fans, we have all suffered a loss that we feel together.

Rest In Peace, Wink! You Will Be Missed!

That being said, please enjoy this interview I did with the world-famous Wink Martindale a few years ago. Oh... I'm so proud of this...

If you remember the Beat The Dragon bonus round from Tic-Tac-Dough, I am thrilled to say that I gave Wink Martindale the chance to play his own game during our time together!

Rest in peace, Conrad! There will never be a Wink Martindale who can hold a candle to what you brought to the world. We shall miss you, my friend!