The beloved 79-year-old host announced his exit at the start of Tuesday’s (18Jan11) programme, which he now co-hosts with actress Kelly Ripa.
Philbin will step down from the show at the end of this summer (11), although he did not specify a departure date.
The news comes a year after Philbin underwent an operation to remove a blood clot that formed following hip replacement surgery and forced him off the air for several weeks.
Philbin’s daytime hosting duties began in 1983, with a local New York TV programme called The Morning Show with Cyndy Garvey as his original co-host. In 1988, it was reincarnated with actress Kathie Lee Gifford, and became Live with Regis and Kathie Lee until 2000.
Ripa joined as Philbin’s newest co-host in 2001 after Gifford’s departure.
