Some ABC fans know the network’s Live morning show best as the Kelly Ripa hour, with various men serving as her co-host over the last 15 years.
But then there are the elder generations that grew up with Regis Philbin, AKA the face of the long-running talk show for nearly 30 years — 10 of which overlapped with Ripa, 55.
Before Ripa joined as Philbin’s official co-host back in 2001, there was the one and only Kathie Lee Gifford. ABC’s morning show had been titled Live with Regis and Kathie Lee from 1988 to the start of the 21st century.
Of course, more modern TV viewers know that Gifford, 72, would later join NBC‘s Today show for an impressive 11-year run alongside Hoda Kotb. But she actually joined Philbin — who died in 2020 at age 88 — on ABC’s The Morning Show way back in 1985, even though the program wasn’t officially renamed to include Gifford’s name until 1988.
Added to that, Saturday, April 4 marks exactly 43 years since Philbin’s iconic talk show debuted on ABC (in 1983). That means there were a full two years he was on the air without Gifford by his side, believe it or not.
That’s because The Morning Show launched with Cyndy Garvey as his co-host. The American TV personality, 76, had previously worked with Philbin on A.M. Los Angeles on KABC-TV. Then came Gifford — with the last name Johnson at the time — in 1985 to take on co-hosting duties.
Last month, Gifford took time to reflect on the final time she saw Philbin — a memory that still makes her smile. In an interview with PEOPLE shared on March 14, the former Live with Regis and Kathie Lee host shared that she saw Philbin just two weeks before his death in July 2020 at age 88. The pair, who spent 15 years hosting morning television together, remained close friends long after Gifford left the show.
This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.