Longtime television host Regis Philbin died Friday of natural causes, family members said. He was 88.
“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,” said a statement Philbin’s family shared with People magazine Saturday.
“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,” the Philbin family says.
Philbin hosted a series of local television shows, worked as a page for “Tonight Show” host Steve Allen and served as Joey Bishop’s sidekick on “The Joey Bishop Show” before catapulting to fame in 1985 with “Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee” alongside cohost Kathie Lee Gifford.
The show distinguished itself with the often-friendly, sometimes-edgy on-air rapport between Gifford and Philbin — and for bucking daytime television trends when other talk shows trafficked in more sensational fare.
