American TV host Regis Philbin dies at 88

Philbin holds the world record for most hours on US television, according to Guinness World Records, with more than 16,700 hours on air.

(CMR) Regis Philbin, American talk show host and broadcaster has died at 88, one month shy of his 89th birthday.

Philbin was the host of numerous television shows, including the morning talk show “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee,” which he co-hosted with Kathie Lee Gifford. Co-hosting duties were later taken over by Kelly Ripa and the show was renamed “Live with Regis and Kelly.”

Over the years Philbin has hosted Miss America pageants and game shows like ABC's “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”. During his long career he was nominated for 37 Daytime Emmy Awards and won six. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. In 2006 he was inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Regis Francis Xavier Philbin was born in New York on August 25, 1931, to Frank and Florence Philbin. He was named after Regis High School, a Jesuit school in Manhattan attended by his father.

He graduated from Notre Dame University in 1953 with a degree in sociology before going on to serve in the US Navy.

Philbin got his start in show business as a page on NBC's “The Tonight Show.” He later hosted “The Regis Philbin Show” out of San Diego before joining “The Joey Bishop Show” as Bishop's sidekick. After a stint as the host of a local Los Angeles TV talk show, Philbin became the co-host in 1983 of “The Morning Show” on WABC.

Gifford became Philbin's co-host in 1985, and in 1988 the show was syndicated and renamed. The duo continued hosting together until 2000, at which point Philbin hosted the show alone — then dubbed “Live with Regis” — until he was joined by Ripa in 2001. He finally left the show in November 2011.

His family issued a statement sharing:

“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,” they said. “We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss.”

He is survived by four children after being married twice.