Regis Philbin Says Goodbye to “Live with Regis and Kelly”

He’s been a fixture on network television for 28 years, and today is Regis Philbin's last day at his “Live with Regis and Kelly” gig.

The 80-year-old host gave an exclusive interview to Katie Couric for a special entitled “Regis Philbin: The Morning Maestro,” during which he explained his decision to move on.

Regis shared, “Every time a contract got to be renewed, I would think about it and say, ‘Maybe it’s time.’ Because most of the people my age are gone, long gone. And I just thought this was probably a good time to go.”

He also noted that his negotiations with ABC didn’t go his way. “Well, that’s exactly right. Otherwise maybe I might have changed my mind. But it wasn’t what I expected or I thought I deserved. You know, one of those things. And so I felt it was time to move on.”

As for regrets, Philbin explained, ”I wish I didn’t have to wait till I was in my late 50s before the good part of my life started in this business. That’s what I regret, that it was kind of a late start for me.”

From here, the sky’s the limit for Regis. ”If nothing comes up, fine, I’ve done it all anyway, believe me.”