Kelly Ripa is revealing what it was really like to work beside Regis Philbin for 10 years. Ripa, who co-hosted Live with Regis and Kelly with the late TV star from 2001 to 2011, spilled to People magazine about her mixed experience leading the morning show, which she said included a remark from Philbin that once made her feel “horrible.”
Ripa now leads her own morning show with Ryan Seacrest, which is aptly titled Live with Kelly and Ryan, but before landing her current gig, she was the newbie on the set of Philbin’s show, where she was tapped as permanent co-host after Kathie Lee Gifford‘s exit.
When she first began co-hosting, Ripa said she was warned not to bring “an entourage” along with her, but said she showed up with two people for hair and makeup.
“It was not an unusual thing for people on a television show to show up with,” she told People, before recalling a stinging comment from Philbin right before she stepped onstage.
“Uh-oh, Gelman, it’s got an entourage,” he said while greeting Ripa and executive producer Michael Gelman.
Ripa said, “I felt horrible,” telling People, “He was probably trying to be funny, but at the same time it felt like a pile-on. I understand that probably he didn’t want a co-host, but the network wanted me to be the co-host and I didn’t think I should pass up that opportunity. I don’t think it was fair to him. But it was also not fair to me.”
Overall, she categorized her experience working with Philbin as a combination of “good and bad days,” explaining, “I don’t want to feel like I’m slamming anyone or that I’m being disrespectful. But I also want people to know it was not a cakewalk.”
Ripa added, “It took years to earn my place there and earn things that are routinely given to the men I worked with. Including an office and a place to put my computer.”
Years after Philbin’s 2011 exit from the show, he told Larry King that Ripa was bitter about his departure. He claimed in a 2017 interview, “[Ripa] got very offended when I left. She thought I was leaving because of her. I was leaving because I was getting older and that wasn’t right for me anymore,” per Entertainment Tonight.
Ripa refuted the claims to People, pointing to Philbin’s 2015 cameo on the show and adding, “The show had reached out many times. It makes me sad but it’s not something I will ever understand. I was steadfast in my attempt at communication. You can’t make a person befriend you.”
Despite her ups and downs with Philbin, Ripa insisted she “loved” Philbin and still does, praising the late TV legend as “the world’s best storyteller.”
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