Hollywood has lost a show business legend.
Regis Philbin, the famed TV personality whose hosting career spanned six decades, died at 88 years old on Friday, July 24.
“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,” Philbin’s family told E! News in a statement. “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.”
The statement concluded, “We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss.”
Amid his many achievements of the years, Philbin is most famously known as the co-host of ABC’s Live, on which he appeared from 1988 until his departure in 2011 alongside both Kathie Lee Gifford and Kelly Ripa.
Of course, that was hardly his only job. Philbin’s was a familiar face on television as he also served as the original host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and America’s Got Talent and often popped up as a guest host on other shows, including The View, Rachael Ray and with his former co-host, Gifford, on the fourth hour of Today.