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IPFS News Link • Entertainment: Television (TV)

Regis Philbin, Iconic TV Host, Dead at 88

• https://www.etonline.com

"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," his family tells ET in a statement. "His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss."

Philbin battled health issues over his life, including undergoing triple bypass surgery in 2007. People was first to report the news.

In 2004, Philbin was recognized for his Guinness World Record banking more than 16,000 hours in front of a TV camera. That year, he also filled in for Dick Clark on Dick Clark's New Year Rocking Eve special.  

Known for his charisma, and thick New York accent, the hosting legend began his career as a page on The Tonight Show, before being hired as a sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show in the 1950s. He later moved from New York City to Los Angeles where he landed a self-titled local talk show, but couldn't afford writers, and struggled to gain viewers.

The native New Yorker married his first wife, Catherine "Kay" Faylen, in 1955. The couple welcomed two children, Amy and Daniel, but  divorced in 1968. Two years later, Philbin married his longtime love, Joy, with whom he had two more children, Joanna and Jennifer.  


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