Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest Honor Regis Philbin

Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest honored Regis Philbin on social media. The beloved TV personality and game show host passed away at the age of 88. People from all over are mourning his death on multiple platforms. His career spanned so many eras, and for a certain subset of fans, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee! was a daily appointment. When Ripa took over the reins, she thanked her co-host for helping her feel at ease. When Philbin left the program in 2011, there were some other hosts alongside Ripa before Seacrest came aboard. But, it is plain to see that the beloved actor and presenter paved the way for a personality like Seacrest to have that kind of platform. They posted a statement on Instagram.

“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,” the remembered. “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.”

Philbin’s family issued a statement to People to confirm the news as most of social media raced to share their remembrances of the beloved TV host.

“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 read. “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.”

Cover photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage