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Kathie Lee Gifford Shares Her Last Meeting with Regis Philbin Before He Passed
Kathie Lee Gifford, Regis Philbin’s longtime co-host, recalled the last time they saw each other before Philbin’s death.
On Monday, Gifford appeared on the “Today” show and discussed Philbin, who starred opposite her on “Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee” from 1985 until 2000. According to her, the last time she saw him was at a visit to her Connecticut home with his wife, Joy.
One Last Visit
Regis [ foxnews] #Kathie Lee Gifford recalls last meeting with #Regis #Philbin before his death: 'It was so precious' https://t.co/1kDxTral2J
— presshub_us (@PresshubU) July 27, 2020
“I was just so grateful the Lord gave me that final time,” Gifford said. “And it was so precious because when I talked to Joy the day that I found out right after he had passed, she said, ‘Kathie he hadn't laughed in a long, long time.’ She said, ‘I was so worried about him.’”
“I think he was like Frank. He was just ready, you know? … And she said, ‘The day that we came to have lunch with you was the last time I heard him laugh.’ That will forever be a precious gift the Lord gave me, that I got to laugh again with one of my best friends in all my lifetime.”
Gifford shared that she noticed that his age was starting to show during their last visit.
“I sensed much more fragility than I'd seen in him since the last time in January out in Los Angeles,” Gifford shared. “We sat right here on my screened porch, and we laughed ourselves sick. We always picked up right where we left off. … After they left, I just thought to myself, ‘Lord, is that the last time I’m going to see my friend?’ Because he was failing, I could tell.”
Gifford paid tribute to Philbin on Instagram. “There are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift,” she wrote.
“I smile knowing somewhere in Heaven, at this very moment, he’s making someone laugh. It brings me great comfort knowing that he had a personal relationship with his Lord that brought him great peace,” Gifford added.
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