In retrospect, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa were an odd pairing.
But what was Ripa and Philbin’s rapport like off screen?
And how did it change after Philbin left the show in 2011?
Here is the truth about Ripa and Philbin’s relationship.
But it turns out their bond wasn’t as strong as viewers may have thought.
To borrow a line from Charlie Puth, Philbin and Ripadidn’t talk anymore like they used to do.
It was a stark contrast from her interview in 2012 with OMG!
It should be noted that Philbin and Gifford remained friends after the latter left “Live.”
It’s possible he made just as little of an effort to repair the relationship as Ripa had.
We don’t know for sure since she didn’t publicly respond to his finger-pointing.
Maybe you heard about that one?
“They should have told her in the beginning,” he said.
How’s that for irony?
But things were complicated.
But what am I going to say?
I wanna come back!"
So far, I haven’t heard from anybody."
Interesting he would say that, considering it reportedly wasnot actually true.
Seems like there was something Philbin wasn’t telling us.
“I’m not kidding.
I’m almost like his grandmother.
I irritate him that much.
I’m like, ‘Sit down.
You’ve got to drink this.
you might’t do that.
Don’t do that.
Don’t eat that hot dog.
You had heart surgery.
Stop it.'”
Ripa shouted after noticing his wandering hand.
“What just happened?”
Ripa toldThe New York Timesin 2017, “Regis had a mandate: Absolutely no talking off camera.
He had almost a superstition about it.
You save it for the show.
I’d be like ‘Good morning,’ and he’d say ‘Save it for the air.'”
Ripa apparently didn’t feel the same way Philbin did.
I wanted it to be about whatever was going on."
“I think he’s the world’s greatest storyteller,” Ripa toldThe New York Times.
“That’s his gift.”
That knack of hers pretty instantly struck a chord with the audience."
Clearly he was in awe of Ripa, or Pippa, as he affectionately nicknamed her.
High praise, right?
Maybe their friendship was the real deal after all.
“When Regis was there, [Top Teacher Week] was the one thing he never bitched about.
He didn’t mind honoring the teachers.
He hated Beautiful Baby Week.
He didn’t really like Pet Week.
He didn’t understand Back To School Prom Fashion Week and any of that.”
What did Philbin have against Beautiful Baby Week, exactly?
“He didn’t like it.
“‘Pippa, I can’t tell.
Does that kid look beautiful to you.
I don’t even think he looks right.'”
That’s the thing.
They have a war.”
According toCloser Weekly, during an episode of “Live!
As she explained, “He would talk to kids like they were adults.
He didn’t care if they were 2 [or] if they were 4.
It didn’t matter.”
After more than a decade hosting “Live!”
alongside the TV icon, she had plenty of fond memories to share.
While appearing on a special ABC tribute to Philbin, Ripa revealed the No.
1 life lesson she’d learned from her late colleague.
You have to be who you are.”
Likewise, how much Philbin adored everybody equally will ensure he remains beloved, too.
