Regis Philbin’s wife and daughters pay tribute to TV icon

Regis Philbin’s family have remembered the late TV icon following his passing at age 88 last week.

Philbin’s wife Joy, 79, and their two daughters, Jennifer, 45, and Joanna, 47, reflected on his special connection with viewers in a touching statement shared with People.

‘He let everyone into his life,’ the women said. ‘He turned every little daily annoyance and happiness into a story, and he shared all those little stories with people in a joyful and conversational way. It made his audience feel like they were right alongside him — because they were.’

Philbin was surrounded by loved ones when he passed away from natural causes on July 24, his family told People on Saturday.

The late host was remembered by countless celebrities, whom paid tribute to Philbin on social media, including Donald Trump, Jimmy Fallon and his former cohost, Kelly Ripa.

Philbin was one of America’s most beloved TV hosts, with the likes of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and America’s Got Talent under his belt.

However, he was perhaps most known for his long-time hosting gig on ABC’s Live!, which he starred on from 1985 until his retirement in 2011.

Philbin co-hosted the show with Kathie Lee Gifford from 1985 until her departure in 2000, and then with her replacement Kelly Ripa, who has remained on the show ever since.

Gifford paid tribute to Philbin on the Today show, where she recalled their immediate connection.

‘We just took off like a rocket,’ she said, describing him as ‘the most beloved person I knew in this business.’

Gifford said she recently had lunch with Philbin and his wife Joy, and sensed a ‘fragility’ about him that she did not notice during their last meet-up in January. 

But that didn’t stop the trio from sharing lots of laughs.

‘We sat right here on my screened porch and we laughed ourselves sick — we always just picked up right where we left off,’ she said, adding that she and Philbin had become ‘dear friends’ even after she left the show.

‘We had the best time, and after they left, I just thought to myself: “Lord, is that the last time I’m going to see my friend?”

‘Because he was failing, I could tell.’ 

Kelly, meanwhile, remembered the late star with a photo of herself posing with Philbin and her new Live! cohost, Ryan Seacrest.

‘We are beyond saddened to learn about the loss of Regis Philbin. He was the ultimate class act, bringing his laughter and joy into our homes everyday on Live for more than 23 years. We were beyond lucky to have him as a mentor in our careers and aspire everyday to fill his shoes on the show. We send our deepest love and condolences to his family and hope they can find some comfort in knowing he left the world a better place. – Kelly and Ryan,’ she wrote on Instagram.