Kathie Lee Gifford won’t read Kelly Ripa’s book after her comments on Regis Philbin

Kathie Lee Gifford is standing by her late pal and collaborator Regis Philbin after Kelly Ripa mentioned that her expertise working with the beloved TV host “was not a cakewalk.”

In a Monday interview with Fox 5 NY, Gifford mentioned she won’t be studying Ripa’s new ebook after the “Dwell With Kelly and Ryan” host just lately opened up in regards to the “good days and dangerous days” she had with Philbin. Gifford and Philbin co-hosted “Dwell With Regis and Kathie Lee” for about 12 years earlier than Ripa changed Gifford for “Dwell With Regis and Kelly.”

“I used to be very sorry to see the headlines” from Ripa’s interview with Individuals journal selling her ebook and describing her difficult relationship with Philbin, Gifford advised Fox 5 NY.

“We see headlines on a regular basis, and also you by no means know what’s true and what’s not true. … I noticed that, and I went, ‘Oh, I hope this isn’t true.’ … As a result of what’s the purpose? I don’t get it.”

Gifford went on to reward Philbin — who died in July 2020 at age 88 — as “the most effective associate an individual might ever, ever have, professionally.” She recalled Philbin’s spouse, Pleasure, telling her that the final time the “Who Desires to Be a Millionaire” host laughed was after they have been all collectively two weeks earlier than he died.

“We have been pricey buddies. And after I left the present … we turned higher buddies, dearer buddies,” Gifford continued.

“We at all times simply picked up proper the place we left off. We have been Frick and Frack. We have been the odd couple. We have been completely excellent collectively for tv. We by no means had an argument — not an unkind phrase in 15 years. In order that was my actuality.”

Ripa’s actuality was barely totally different, in line with final month’s Individuals cowl story spotlighting the talk-show persona and her ebook, “Dwell Wire: Lengthy-Winded Quick Tales.” Upon accepting the “Dwell” gig, Ripa mentioned, she was bluntly knowledgeable that Philbin was her “boss” and didn’t need her “bringing an entourage” to set.

When Ripa arrived with hair and make-up artists — which she mentioned was “not an uncommon factor for individuals on a tv present” to do — Philbin allegedly quipped to an govt producer, “Uh-oh … it’s acquired an entourage.”

“I felt horrible. He was in all probability attempting to be humorous, however on the identical time it felt like a pile-on,” Ripa mentioned of the incident.

“I perceive that in all probability he didn’t need a co-host, however the community needed me to be the co-host and I didn’t assume I ought to move up that chance. I don’t assume it was truthful to him. Nevertheless it was additionally not truthful to me.”

Whereas Gifford acknowledged that Philbin was vulnerable to teasing individuals he appreciated, she maintained that she “by no means noticed him unkind to anybody.”

“I’m not going to say something ugly about anyone,” Gifford continued. “I by no means have, and I’m not going to start out now. I’m simply saying my actuality is one thing fully totally different from that.”

For what it’s value, Ripa additionally had loads of good issues to say about Philbin, lauding him as “the world’s finest storyteller” and clarifying that she cherished him.

“Off digicam and out of doors of that constructing, it was a special factor,” she advised Individuals.

“The handful of instances we spent collectively, I so loved. … He got here to a dinner I hosted — one of many favourite nights of my life. I by no means laughed so laborious.”