Kathie Lee Gifford co hosted The Morning Show with Regis Philbin, who died in 2020. She posted a picture with him on her Instagram remembering him on his 91st birthday.
Kathie Lee Gifford posted a picture of her and Regis Philbin from back in the day, as a remembrance of the journey they shared. The co-host paid her tribute to Regis Philbin on what would have been Rigis' 91st birthday. The picture shared dates back to their time on the sets of Live With Regia and Kathie Lee talk show from 1988.
Gifford and Philbin were presenters on a talk show wherein the pair worked for almost 15 years until she left the show in 2000. Both of them started with the New York Morning Show in 1985 and eventually, the show turned out to be one of the most famous talk shows on television. They later customized the name of the show to "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" as per PEOPLE magazine.
Her Instagram post read, "I miss Regis every day. But this is a particularly difficult day as we remember this amazing man who would have been 91. Sending love to Joy and the rest of their family as they celebrate an extraordinary man and life."
The pair started to gain popularity in the early days of their talk show, their chemistry was loved and watched by many. They left their audiences thoroughly entertained with their on-screen antics. The duo not only enjoyed their time on screen but they were having the time of their lives off-screen as well. The duo spread joy and laugh until 2000 when Gifford decided to leave the show. After being together for 15 years the favorite duo parted ways.
Philbin continued the show without Gifford for more than a decade. He later started to co-host the show with Kelly Rippa who was officially replacing Gifford for the talk show.
Later, Philbin also hosted ABC's popular game show, Who Wants to be a millionaire? which was also loved by his fans. He hosted the show from 2007 to 2011. The same year he started shooting for the game show, he announced that he will be going under heart bypass surgery.
Soon after his surgery. Philbin announced that he will be leaving the Live Show after dedicating 28 years of his career to the show in 2011, per PEOPLE.
"Everything must come to an end for certain people on camera, especially certain old people," Philbin said on retiring from the show.
When asked, what made him stay so long at the show, he answered the question in his final broadcast episode saying, "People tell me why they watch it … because it makes them feel better. And it can't get any better than that. It makes them happy."
Philbin set a Guinness World Record for most on-camera hours in 2004 by hosting the show for 15,188 hours in total. His achievements are not limited to that only, he has also won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008. His indulgence in the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame along with the Television Academy's Hall of fame in 2006.
Philbin's final television appearance can be marked in 2020 in an ABC sitcom called Single Parents. He was a proud dad, as his daughter was the co-creator and executive producer for it.
The legendary television host died on 24th July 2020,
"His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about," his family shared with PEOPLE in a statement. "We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss."
References:
https://people.com/tv/kathie-lee-gifford-regis-philbin-91st-birthday-tribute/
Image Source: Getty Images/Neilson Barnard
