Regis Philbin, legendary American television host, has died at the age of 88.
People confirmed Pilbin died on July 24 2020 after his family shared the news in a statement, which reads, “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.”
According to TMZ, Philbin had been battling heart disease. The outlet said a source had reported Philbin “died Saturday morning after suffering a heart attack at his home in New York — although, we have not confirmed that with the family at this point.”
The outlet said Philbin has been experiencing relatively good health in retirement, but had been battling heart disease for many years. Philbin had an angioplasty in the ’90s and triple bypass surgery in 2007, TMZ said.
Here’s what you need to know:
Philbin’s TV Career Spanned 60 Years. Describing Philbin as “indefatigable and downright neighborly” and “unfailingly perky and personable, The Hollywood Reporter detailed Philbin’s “60-plus years in show business” from the 1970s to 2011, “sharing cups of coffee and flipping through the morning papers alongside the likes of Ruta Lee, Sarah Purcell, Cyndy Garvey, Mary Hart … and Kelly Ripa.”
He was arguably best known for his role alongside Kathie Lee Gifford in Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee.
He began that show in 1988 and left 15 years later, according to People.
From 2001-2011, Philbin appeared with Kelly Ripa the next iteration of the show, Live! with Regis and Kelly, before he left in 2011 after 23 years on-air, People said.
Philbin Gained a New Generation of Followers Hosting ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.’
“Philbin also served as the original host of the widely popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire from 1999 to 2002,” People said.
“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.”