'Live!' Hosts Kelly Ripa & Ryan Seacrest Pay Tribute to Regis Philbin

Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, the current hosts of Live!, are speaking out in a joint statement to pay tribute to former host Regis Philbin.

The TV icon passed away on Friday night at the age of 88.

Regis launched the show in 1988 with Kathie Lee Gifford and Kelly took over for her in 2001. He left the show and was replaced by Michael Strahan for nearly four years. Ryan then joined the show in 2017.

“We are beyond saddened to learn about the loss of Regis Philbin,” the two TV stars said in a statement. “He was the ultimate class act, bringing his laughter and joy into our homes every day on Live for more than 23 years. We were beyond lucky to have him as a mentor in our careers and aspire every day 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.”

Read what more celebs have been saying in their tributes for Regis.