Thread: Regis Philbin, Legendary Television Host, Dies at 88

"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," the Philbin family shares with PEOPLE in an exclusive statement

Regis Philbin has died. The beloved star was 88.

In 2001, the franchise became Live! with Regis and Kelly, co-starring Kelly Ripa before he left in 2011 after 23 years on-air. (He was replaced by former football player Michael Strahan, who later departed for Good Morning America and was replaced by Ryan Seacrest in 2017.)

Philbin also served as the original host of the widely popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1999 to 2002. In addition, the New York City native's hosting credits include Million Dollar Password, the first season of America's Got Talent, as well as a reoccurring co-host seat on Rachael Ray.

Born on August 25, 1931, Philbin was raised in the Bronx and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1949 before attending the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a sociology degree in 1953.

After serving in the Navy, Philbin began his career in show business as a writer and made his way in front of the camera in 1961 with a local talk show in San Diego called The Regis Philbin Show. Then in 1967, he became widely known as Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show.

After a string of local talk shows, including A.M. Los Angeles and Regis Philbin's Saturday Night in St. Louis, he moved to New York in 1983 to host The Morning Show, which was renamed three years later as Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee.

Philbin's accolades include Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding talk show host for Live! in 2001 and 2011 as well as outstanding game show host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He also received a Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008.

Throughout his career, Philbin had various health issues. He underwent an angioplasty in 1993, followed by triple bypass surgery due to plaque in his arteries in March 2007. In December 2009, the television personality had his hip replaced.

Philbin, who was married twice, is survived by daughters J.J. Philbin and Joanna Philbin, whom he shared with his wife of 50 years, Joy Philbin. He was also father to daughter Amy Philbin, whom he shared with his first wife Catherine Faylen. Philbin and Faylen had another child, son Daniel Philbin, who died in 2014.

Regis Philbin Dies at 88 | PEOPLE.com

Always seemed like a good guy. And always seemed to be in good shape. Seems he died of 'natural causes' according to Wikipedia. But he had had some health problems in the past.

Philbin had an angioplasty in 1993.[60][61] On March 14, 2007, he underwent triple bypass surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center because of plaque in his arteries.[62] Prior to the surgery, Philbin talked with David Letterman, for whom Philbin had substituted on Late Show with David Letterman during Letterman's own quintuple bypass surgery.[62] Following Philbin's successful heart surgery, he returned to the show on April 26.

On December 1, 2009, Philbin had hip-replacement surgery.[63][64] He returned on Monday, January 4, 2010, to his regular hosting duties.[65]

In May 2010, Philbin underwent surgery to have a blood clot removed from his calf. He returned to work the next day.[66]

On July 24, 2020, Philbin died of natural causes at the age of 88.[4][5]

I liked him too and enjoyed when his wife would join him on the show at times.

Yeah, he was one of a kind - Just naturally funny, and I don't even recall ever hearing him curse - Seemed like a genuinely nice guy (for a celebrity).