Regis Philbin, the legendary television personality, passed away last Friday at the age of 88. Entertainment Tonight says that on Wednesday, the iconic presenter’s cause of death was revealed.
The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Farmington, Connecticut, confirmed through their representative that Philbin died from a “myocardial infarction” – a consequence of coronary artery disease.
When Philbin’s death was first revealed to the public, the presenter’s family dropped a statement in which they confirmed the sad news. They described his death as having been caused by “natural causes,” and it was just before his 89th birthday.
[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CDE-VkBJzyO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading[/embed]Fans of Regis know he has been a television personality for many years, however, he is perhaps most known for his work with Kelly Ripa on Live! With Regis and Kelly, America’s Got Talent, as well as Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.
Regis left behind his wife Joy, as well as their four daughters and grandchildren. Following his passing, many stars and former co-workers who knew Regis well commemorated the legend’s life and trials, including Kelly Ripa and Kathie Lee Gifford.
Fans of Regis know he worked with Lee Gifford for years until she was finally replaced by Kelly Ripa. Sources say Kelly and Regis sometimes didn’t get along behind the scenes, but they ultimately worked for nearly a decade and had a great professional relationship.
Earlier this week, Kelly Ripa addressed Regis’ death and explained what she felt was the most important thing she ever learned from him: the importance of being yourself.
Through her time working with Regis, Kelly explained, she realized it was crucial to be the same person in front of the camera as when away from the camera. Philbin had a reputation in the industry for being well-liked, great to work with, and incredibly humble despite his massive success.
Moreover, his on-screen personality attracted many viewers year after year. As it was noted above, Regis also hosted Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, which has since been rebooted with a new host.