Regis Philbin passed away yesterday at the age of 88. His family told People, “We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday.
“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. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss.”
We spent 28 and a half years waking up with him on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and then with Kelly Ripa. No one could do an interview like he did. He was like that uncle you looked forward to seeing at Thanksgiving, but you got to see him every day. He made morning television appointment viewing with his great sense of humor.
That was his day job, but his night job was the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He was supportive and sarcastic in the same breath. It is one of the many reasons why we loved him.
Today, let’s honor the man who holds the Guiness Book of World Record for the most hours on US television by watching some of the 16,746.50 hours he spent in front of the camera. This way it will be like he is still with us.
