From 1985 to 2011, two women spent more time on TV with broadcasting legend Regis Philbin than anyone else.
Both Kathy Lee Gifford and Kelly Ripa recently shared their memories of Regis shortly after his death from natural causes over the weekend.
Kathy Lee Gifford hosted The Morning Show with Philbin beginning in 1985 and the show was such a success that in 1988, it was rebranded Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. Gifford hosted the show until 2000.
“There are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift. We spent 15 years together bantering and bickering and laughing ourselves silly—a tradition and a friendship we shared up to this very day,” Gifford wrote on Instagram. “I smile knowing somewhere in Heaven, at this very moment, he’s making someone laugh. It brings me great comfort knowing that he had a personal relationship with his Lord that brought him great peace. I send all the love in my heart to Joy, to his children, to the rest of his family and to the innumerable people he touched over his legendary life. There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be.”
Philbin hosted the show by himself for about a year before Ripa took over as co-host on Live with Regis and Kelly in 2001. The pair hosted the show together until Philbin’s retirement in 2011.
“We are beyond saddened to learn about the loss of Regis Philbin. He was the ultimate class act, bringing his laughter and joy into our homes everyday on Live for more than 23 years,” Ripa wrote. “We were beyond lucky to have him as a mentor in our careers and aspire everyday to fill his shoes on the show. We send our deepest love and condolences to his family and hope they can find some comfort in knowing he left the world a better place.”