Kathie Lee Gifford issued a statement in mourning over the death of her friend and former co-host Regis Philbin on Saturday.
While Gifford, 66, admitted that there was simply “no words to fully express” his love for his “precious friend,” he called his life “legendary.”
“I just adored him and every day with him was a gift. We spent 15 years together joking, arguing and giggling, a tradition and friendship that we share to this day. I smile knowing that somewhere in Heaven, right now in At the time, he’s making someone laugh, “he wrote.
REGIS FILIN SAYS GOODBYE IN THE MORNING AFTER 28 YEARS
Gifford’s statement continued: “I am very comforted to know that you had a personal relationship with your Lord that brought you great peace. I sent all the love of my heart to Joy, her children, the rest of her family, and the countless people who he played during his legendary life. There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be. “
The television legend died of natural causes, his family announced in a statement shared with Fox News on Saturday.
“We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night from natural causes, a month before his 89th birthday,” his family said.
“His family and friends are always grateful for the time we spent with him, for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor and his unique ability to make every day something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for her incredible support throughout her 60-year career and asking for privacy as we mourn her loss. “
REGIS PHILBIN, ICONIC TELEVISION HOST, DEAD AT 88
Television personalities Kathy Lee Gifford (L) and Regis Philbin are seen in Midtown on September 23, 2015 in New York City.
(Michael Stewart / GC Images)
Philbin and Gifford began their season on “Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee” in 1985. The co-hosts who captured the hearts of Americans with their daily morning pranks had a 15-year run until Gifford left the show in 2000.
“No arguments, no harsh words all this time,” Philbin said of her experience working alongside Gifford for a theater audience in 2000. “Well, there was a time when I didn’t speak to her for two weeks. I didn’t want to interrupt her .
After a trial period for a replacement, Kelly Ripa, then best known for her performance in the soap drama “All My Children,” filled the place.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Philbin left the program in 2011. Although he said Ripa took his departure personally, he explained in “Larry King Now” that his decision was due to his aging and that “it was no longer appropriate for me.”
Despite his extensive resume and endurance throughout this decades-long career, Philbin suffered some minor health setbacks. In 1993, doctors performed angioplasty to relieve a blocked artery. She also underwent bypass surgery in 2007 at age 75.
