“I felt horrible. He was probably trying to be funny”: Regis Philbin Made Kelly Ripa Feel Like a Total Loser While Hazing Her During Her Very First Day on ‘Live’ – Sparking Lifelong Hostility Between the Two
Over the years, TV star Kelly Ripa has worked with several co-stars on ABC’s Live! She first worked with Regis Philbin back in 2001 and their relationship was not the best. She once explained how he made a comment that made her feel terrible while they were backstage before their first show together.
Regis Philbin retired from the show in 2011 and Michael Strahan took his place in 2012. Philbin sadly died from a heart attack due to coronary artery disease on July 25, 2020. Ripa later explained that maybe he was trying to be funny but it felt like an attack considering it was her first day on the show.
Regis Philbin attacked Kelly Ripa on her first day on Live!
TV star Kelly Ripa has been a part of ABC’s Live! for over two decades now. She has worked with multiple co-stars, the first one being Regis Philbin. She once recalled that before their first show together, Philbin made a joke that felt like an attack on Ripa. Kelly Ripa explained in an interview with People that she was told not to “bring an entourage.” She claimed that she “came with hair and makeup. It was not an unusual thing for people on a television show to show up with.” According to Ripa, shortly before their first show, Regis Philbin saw her and said, “Uh-oh, Gelman, it’s got an entourage.”
The TV star felt horrible
Kelly Ripa later explained that Philbin’s joke made her feel horrible. She further added,
“I felt horrible. He was probably trying to be funny, but at the same time it felt like a pile-on.”
It makes sense why Ripa felt like that as it was her first day on the show. She was probably nervous and expected her co-star to encourage her with kind words but instead, Philbin decided to make things worse. The two worked together on the show for a decade.
Kelly Ripa admitted that there were good days as well
Despite their strained relationship, Ripa admitted that there were “good days and bad days” on set adding that she had to work hard to get where she is now. She said,
“The biggest misconception is that it all came easily. People think I just showed up one day and was handed a job and I lived happily ever after and now everything’s perfect. But it never is that way. There were good and bad days. 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. It took years to earn my place there.”
Regis Philbin retired from the show in November 2011 and was replaced by Michael Strahan. Philbin tragically died in July 2020 due to a heart attack.
Source: People
