American talk show legend Philbin dies at 88

Regis Philbin, an award - winning fixture of American talk show culture , has died at the age of 88 , media reports said Saturday.

Philbin, a playful and self - deprecating New Yorker with a thick Bronx accent , died Friday of natural causes , People magazine reported, quoting a statement from the family .

Philbin was best known to many Americans as co - host of a daytime talk show that began in 1988 called “ Live ! With Regis and Kathie Lee . ”

Working with Kathie Lee Gifford and later with another co - host , Philbin appeared on the show for 23 years .

Part of his popular shtick was to spend a few minutes at the beginning of each show talking about banalities like where he had dinner the night before .

Philbin also hosted the wildly popular “ Who Wants to be a Millionaire ” game show , which ran from 1999 to 2002 .

He won Emmys as a talk show and game show host .

And he held the Guinness record for number of hours spent on television in America — about 17 , 000 , according to The New York Times .

In 2011 , as Philbin was preparing to leave his talk show , the Times paid tribute to him as someone who stood out on TV .

“ In a daytime landscape filled with bland , polished hosts and smarmy good cheer , Mr Philbin was crumpled , nasal and histrionic . He was a snaggletooth amid cosmetic dentistry and porcelain veneers , ” the paper said .

Among those remembering Philbin on Saturday was a fellow New Yorker , Donald Trump .

“ He was a fantastic person, and my friend . He kept telling me to run for President, ” the US president tweeted . “ Holds the record for ‘ most live television , ’ and he did it well . Regis , we love you . ”