Kathie Lee Gifford Didn't Hold Back When Asked About Kelly Ripa's New Memoir
Kelly Ripa's book, "Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories," is capturing the attention of many with memories from her personal and professional life thus far. One of the most popular topics included in the new book is her relationship with former co-host, the late Regis Philbin — and the experience she had transitioning from acting to hosting "Live" in 2001. Ripa and Philbin co-hosted "Live" together from 2001 to 2011, up until Philbin decided to leave the show, according to Entertainment Tonight. In the book, Ripa reveals that she had a "professional relationship" with Philbin, although tabloids often spread rumors that the two did not get along and vilified her.
She told Entertainment Tonight, "That's why I address it in the book. We had a professional working relationship, and that's what we had, and that's OK. Because we are from different generations, we had different friend groups, and we had different professional backgrounds."
Despite any rumored tension or professional differences, Ripa seemingly still thinks highly of Philbin. In her book, she explains, "I got to sit next to one of the greatest storytellers of all time. The few occasions I socialized with Regis outside the office, over the decade we worked together, I truly enjoyed," (via Us Weekly). But despite the anticlimactic and seemingly minuscule drama between the former co-hosts, there's still someone who is not supporting Ripa's new book.
Kathie Lee Gifford will not be reading Kelly Ripa's book
Before Kelly Ripa began hosting "Live" with Regis Philbin in 2001, Kathie Lee Gifford co-hosted the show with Philbin, whom she had a great relationship with on and off-camera. As a result, Gifford was not happy to hear or see the headlines revolving around Ripa's new book and her potentially awkward off-camera relationship with Philbin. During an interview with Fox 5, Gifford explained, "I'm not going to read the book. I haven't read it. I don't even know if it's out yet." In terms of how she remembers Philbin, she recalled, "He was 15 years the best partner I could ever have professionally. But he was my friend" (via Us Weekly). She made it clear that they never argued despite working together for over a decade and that she never saw him be unkind to anyone.
Ripa was honest about her relationship with Philbin off-camera in her new book, "Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories," and although she praised his talent, she also hinted that things were not always easy between them. She told People, "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."
As for how Gifford feels about Ripa's remarks, she told Fox 5, "I'm not going to say anything ugly about anybody. I never have, and I'm not going to start now."