Kathie Lee Gifford Pays Tribute to Her Late Co-Host Regis Philbin With Touching Message

Kathie Lee Gifford paid tribute to her late co-host, Regis Philbin, with a touching message. The TV star posted her thoughts to Instagram after the announcement of the beloved host's death. Philbin passed away at the age of 88 and fans have been lamenting the news all day on social media. For Gifford, the pair was a household mainstay for many Americans with their show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. Though others have sat down in their seats and continued the show, a lot of fans are nostalgically remembering the memories of days home from work or school and catching the light daytime TV programming. Even the Who Wants to Be A Millionaire fans are showing their appreciation for the program today.

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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. 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.

A post shared by Kathie Lee Gifford (@kathielgifford) on Jul 25, 2020 at 2:37pm PDT

Current Live hosts, Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest posted their own statement about Philbin's passing.

"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," they 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."

REGIS. There will never be another.

— Kathie Lee Gifford (@KathieLGifford) July 25, 2020

Philbin's family gave their statement to People in confirming the news.

"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," their statement begins. "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."

Do you have a favorite Regis memory? Let us know down in the comments!

Photo by Mark Sagliocco/WireImage