Regis Philbin's last show on Friday
Friday morning was such an amazing morning at Regis's last show. I walked the red carpet with Diane Sawyer, Meredith Vieira, Katie Couric, and Donald Trump. Once we were all seated in the studio and I began looking around, it was amazing to see the amount of people who had come to bid Regis farewell. I was surrounded by Alan Alda, Tony Danza, Charles Grodin, John McEnroe, Caroline Rhea, Jane Krakowski, Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford and iconic TV producer Rick Rosner. Regis's wife Joy, his 2 daughters and his grandchildren sat in front of me. Also nearby were Judge Judy and Dr. Ruth. It was quite an audience!
Mayor Bloomberg gave Regis a key to the city, and Disney President and CEO Bob Iger presented him with a plaque that will forever greet people as they enter the WABC building where they have always broadcast the show. When the cast of Rent sang "Seasons of Love" to Regis, specially rewritten as a tribute to his 955,600 minutes on the air, it brought back many memories of my last day at Good Morning America when the cast of Rent sang that same song to me. We all cried throughout the morning, and there weren't many dry eyes in the audience. Somehow Regis managed to keep his cool throughout the entire show and kept everyone in the audience in stitches while he was at it!
Regis has given audiences so many great moments, so many great memories -- he is truly the consummate entertainer and will most certainly be missed by television audiences.
Joan Lunden truly exemplifies today’s modern working woman. An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, successful entrepreneur, one of America’s most recognized and trusted television personalities, this mom of seven continues to do it all. As host of Good Morning America for nearly two decades, Lunden brought insight to top issues for millions of Americans each day. The longest running host ever on early morning television, Lunden reported from 26 countries, covered 4 presidents and 5 Olympics and kept Americans up to date on how to care for their homes, their families and themselves.