Why Kathie Lee Gifford Really Left Her Daytime Hosting Gig With Regis Philbin

Long before "Kelly and Ryan" was a thing, there was the legendary Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford tandem. The two dominated the talk show space for over a decade when they top-billed "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee."

What started as a humble morning show quickly became a smash hit, with the two making early mornings more bearable across America. "We were a local show when I first joined him," she shared. "I left 'Good Morning America' to be with Regis because I didn't want to read from a teleprompter," Gifford told People of her decision to partner with Philbin early in her career. "I wanted to be my own person — fail or succeed just as the person that I am authentically." And she did, and together, they eventually became TV royalty. Their tenure on "Live!" lasted 15 years until Gifford decided to leave in 2000.

The morning show duo had gone through plenty of milestones together. And over the years, Gifford and Philbin developed a close friendship. "I was single and childless when I joined Regis on what was a local show in New York at the time," Gifford told her "The Early Show" co-host Rene Syler in 2005. "So everything huge in my life, I went through with Regis — the highs and lows. And once you have a shared history like that with somebody, you know, it's something you treasure." And so, one might wonder, why leave in the first place if you had something great?

When Kathie Lee Gifford first left "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee," she said it was because she wanted to try her hand at new projects, particularly singing and acting. "I have to do different things now," she shared. And different things she did, dabbling in musical theater and releasing a string of full-length albums. She enjoyed her downtime, too, something she had barely experienced in the past.

"I never dreamed I'd love getting up in the morning and sitting down with a cup of coffee. Now, I'm getting to enjoy just sitting by a fire writing for the first time in a long time, and I love it," she told CBN. "After so many years of being in front of people, it's the simple things like not wearing pantyhose or putting on makeup every day that I love."

But as it turns out, Gifford had another reason to leave — she wanted to spend more time with her father, who was suffering from a rare form of dementia. "My daddy was dying, and I was not comfortable making it public. I had a very personal reason for not going through yet one more painful experience in a public way," she divulged to New York Post. "I knew it was going to be a horrendous family experience. I just had to have that time with him without cameras in my face and without having to explain things."

Despite Kathie Lee Gifford leaving her post on "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee," her friendship with Regis Philbin never wavered. A source told Closer Weekly that because of their shared experiences, their bond became pretty much unbreakable. "They're like army buddies," the insider dished. "They went through a unique time together, pioneering the early-morning TV format. They genuinely like and love each other."

The two also sang nothing but praises of each other in interviews. When Gifford left "Today" in 2018, Philbin gave her a heartfelt tribute, saying she was the "best part of my TV life." He shared, "We stayed friends throughout the entire game and it was a lot of fun... I want you to know how I will always remember the great times that we had working together and how you are as a person: just great."

And when Philbin passed in 2020 due to natural causes, his longtime pal made sure to tell the world how amazing he was, too. "There are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift," she wrote in a post. "There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be."