INSIDE EDITION talks to Regis Philbin about leaving morning TV after almost three decades on the air.
INSIDE EDITION was backstage with Regis Philbin as he prepares to wrap up his extraordinary 28-year run on morning TV.
"It's been a hectic week," Philbin said.
"Any second thoughts?" asked an INSIDE EDITION producer.
"No second thoughts no, I like the show, I think it's a great show, but I think I've done it enough. Twenty-eight-and-a half years, let somebody else do it for awhile," he said.
INSIDE EDITION caught up with the TV legend at Live with Regis and Kelly, where his last show is this Friday.
All the shows leading up to the grand finale feature non-stop tributes from some of his favorite guests of all time. Donald Trump stopped by Tuesday, and Philbin even sang a song with Tony Bennett.
Talk about a hectic week! After the show, Philbin signed copies of his new memoir, How I Got This Way, for fans packing a Barnes and Noble superstore in New York City.
"It's been a long time together and I appreciate them still remembering me," Philbin said.
Philbin is one of the most beloved figures in TV history and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a TV camera.
But he almost didn't become a legend. His career was once considered dead in the water!
The year was 1968 and Philbin was the announcer on The Joey Bishop Show. It was not a happy team. Bishop kept needling his sidekick on the air, and tension between them was palpable.
New York Post TV writer Michael Starr, author of Mouse in the Rat Pack: The Joey Bishop Story, told INSIDE EDITION, "Regis certainly appreciated this was his first big break on national television, and he appreciated getting that break and I think over time he and Joey developed a closer relationship, but Joey was a difficult guy to get along with."
Finally, Philbin had enough with the nightly humiliation. He actually broke down in tears and walked off the show. He thought he was through in show business. How wrong he was!
