Kathie Lee Gifford has paid tribute to her most iconic costar, the late Regis Philbin, acknowledging that it "never gets easier to say goodbye" as she celebrated what would have been his 92nd birthday.
"Missing you everyday Regis, still. So grateful for everything you meant in my life," Kathie captioned her post on Instagram, which featured the opening credits to the very first episode of Live with Regis and Kathie they hosted together in 1988.
After the credits rolled, Regis opened the show by welcoming the audience and sharing: "It's Monday September 5, 1988 and the beginning of a brand new talk show across America." Between 1983 and 1988 the show aired in New York City on local stations, but went national in 1988 with Regis and Kathie.
"I watched you two every morning as a young mom with babies. It made me laugh & enjoy my coffee," commented one fan on the post, as another added: "The best talk show team of all time. No one has come close to replicating the chemistry the two of you had!"
© Newsday LLC"You two were the very best! Regis….a class act and an icon. You…class act and genuine. There’ll never be another Regis and Kathie Lee. That mold was broken. Thanks for entertaining us and keeping it wholesome and hilarious!" shared a third.
They hosted it together for 12 years until Kathie left in 2000, explaining that she was ready to put her focus on other endeavors, and she was replaced by Kelly Ripa who hosted with Regis until 2011 when he retired from the ABC show.
© Bruce GlikasRegis passed away on July 25 2020 after suffering a heart attack at the age of 88. The Who Wants to be a Millionaire? host had been living in Greenwich, Connecticut, with his wife Joy from 2008 until shortly before his passing, with the pair selling their $4.015million home in order to be closer to their children in California.
His passing led to an outpouring of grief from friends and family, with Kathie writing at the time: "There are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift. We spent 15 years together bantering and bickering and laughing ourselves silly—a tradition and a friendship we shared up to this very day."
© Getty ImagesShe continued: "I smile knowing somewhere in Heaven, at this very moment, he’s making someone laugh. It brings me great comfort knowing that he had a personal relationship with his Lord that brought him great peace.
"I send all the love in my heart to Joy, to his children, to the rest of his family and to the innumerable people he touched over his legendary life. There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be."
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