Hollywood Reacts To The Death Of Regis Philbin

Talk show icon Regis Philbin has died at the age of 88. His family confirmed to People Saturday, "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."

Fans and friends alike immediately took to social media to mourn the heartbreaking loss of the host they woke up to every day for decades, and it's clear that Philbin will be missed. Longtime co-host Katie Lee Gifford had few words, but they couldn't be more accurate: "REGIS. There will never be another," she tweeted. 

Fellow talk show host Jimmy Kimmel expressed his condolences, writing, "Regis was a great broadcaster, a good friend and a tremendous amount of fun. He leaves behind a beautiful family and a TV legacy that will likely go unmatched. Regis, I hope our friend Rickles met you at the pearly gates with open arms and a slew of the insults you loved so much." Longtime friend Larry King was clearly hit hard by the loss, tweeting, "Regis Philbin was such a prolific talent. He could do it all, and we loved him for it. I will miss him every day. My heartfelt condolences to Joy and his family."

One thing is clear from the messages flooding social media: Regis Philbin was beloved in Hollywood. He was kind, fun, funny, and made a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.

Host Jillian Barberie realizes just how lucky she was for the chance to sit beside Philbin, tweeting, "Another highlight of my career was co-hosting with Regis on Live. It was a once in a lifetime moment to sit beside the king of improv TV. He was funny and gracious and warm. Love to Joy and his family," while Craig Ferguson expressed his sadness saying simply, "Damn. Awful news. Regis Philbin was a friend and a mentor to me. I will never forget his kindness and support. He truly was a mensch."

Even funnyman Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman) found Philbin's character unmatched. "I absolutely LOVED Regis Philbin. I knew him to always be interested in everything, current, happy, funny, generous and sweet. As wonderful a man as he was talented. And, as this photos proves, he was up for anything! I will never forget him and miss him very much. RIP Regis," he tweeted. 

Kelly Ripa shared the spotlight with Regis Philbin on Live! with Regis and Kelly for three seasons before being joined by current co-host Ryan Seacrest. The pair shared a joint statement on their Instagram accounts mourning the loss of their friend and colleague.

"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," the post read.