Regis Philbin was never formally on the payroll of “The Late Show With David Letterman,” but he might as well have been.
When Letterman retired in May 2015, Philbin, the TV veteran who died July 24 at 88, emerged as the most frequent guest to joke and spar with Letterman in the guest chair over the CBS late-night franchise’s 22-season run. He logged 136 appearances, far more than the No. 2 guest, animal handler Jack Hanna at 75. Philbin also had numerous appearances during Letterman’s NBC days on “Late Night With David Letterman.”
Philbin made a career out of a being a TV host who made the rounds of every other talk show on the air — always with a smile and a great story at the ready. But his Letterman visits were always extra special. The two are clearly cut from the same cloth as men who seem born to speak extemporaneously on television.
In a statement, Letterman hailed his longtime friend as on a par with the idol of late-night, Johnny Carson.
“In the same category as Carson. Superlative,” Letterman said in a statement Saturday. “He was on our show a million times, always the best guest we ever had, charming, lovable and could take a punch. When he retired I lost interest in television. I love him.”
(Pictured: Regis Philbin)
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