Legendary television host Regis Philbin passed away on Saturday (July 25) at the age of 88 and the heartfelt reactions from Hollywood and Black Twitter have been pouring in.
D.L. Hughley, Vivica A. Fox, Tamron Hall, Ice-T and Michael Strahan, who replaced Philbin as co-host on Live with Regis and Kelly when he left in 2011, are among those who have honored the late icon’s life on Twitter.
“I’m absolutely heartbroken,” Strahan tweeted. “Regis was an incredible man who could light up any room. He always made me feel special no matter if I saw him in the studio or ran into him on the street. Legend and Icon aren’t strong enough words to describe him. He will never be forgotten!!”
A clip of Philbin reciting the words to Nas’ 2001 hit song “Oochie Wally” on FOX Sports is also making rounds on Twitter and sparking warm memories of the beloved tv personality.
“‘O’ is for oochie / Oh you ain’t know / How many O’s in the bankroll / Sort of like like the game show / ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ / But my name ain’t Regis,” he stoically recites to major applause from the audience before asking Nas if he was a fan of his Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? show.
“We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday,” his family shared in a statement with People.
“His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about,” Philbin’s family added. “We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss.”
Philbin was known for co-hosting the Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee throughout the 1990s and Live! with Regis and Kelly in the 2000s. In 2011, he departed the show after 23 years.
He was also famously known for hosting the popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1999 to 2002.
Check out more reactions to the late Regis Philbin’s death from Black Twitter below.