Former daytime TV talk show host Kathie Lee Gifford reflected on some fond memories of the years she spent working with the late Regis Philbin who passed away in 2020 at the age of 88.
“I look at [my Emmys] and I’m grateful, thank you, Lord. But my trophies are the people that I’ve touched in life, the people [in] both of those places,” Kathie Lee, 70, said during an interview with Entertainment Tonight published on Wednesday, April 24. “I’ve worked 15 years with Regis, and 11 years with Hoda. The trophies we gather in life that truly matter are human, you know.”
Kathie Lee joined Regis on Live! (which was originally named The Morning Show) in 1985 after replacing Ann Abernathy. The chemistry between the two was instant and fans quickly came to love the first few minutes of each episode when Kathie Lee and Regis bantered back and forth about everything from their personal lives to politics. Even after Kathie Lee made the decision to leave Live! for a position opposite Hoda Kotb in 2011, she and Regis remained close friends until his death. While the choice was a tough one for Kathie Lee, she felt it was right.
“I fill my mind and my spirit with scripture so I don’t have to look it up. I don’t have to google it, it’s in me, it’s in my DNA,” the mom of two added. “And so, each time I have left, either Regis or Hoda, it’s been because it was deeply prayed for and God just confirms as you go along.”
Kathie Lee has always been open about how much she adored her friendship with Regis. In 2019, she exclusively told Closer, “He’s such a sweetheart. I love him to pieces.”
A source also told Closer at the time that “the two were like army buddies.”
“They went through a unique time together, pioneering the early-morning TV format,” the insider added. “They genuinely like and love each other.”
Plus, Regis wasn’t only close with Kathie Lee, but her family as well. After the longtime talk show host died of natural causes, Kathie Lee’s daughter, Cassidy Gifford, shared a sweet tribute to her mom’s friend along with a photo of Regis and Cassidy’s dad, Frank Gifford, who died in 2015.
“The laughter I know you two are sharing together again in heaven is palpable … love you forever, Reeg,” Cassidy, 30, wrote on July 25, 2020.
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