Kelly Ripa Has Different View On Live With Regis And Kelly Now

It's no secret that Kelly Ripa's book, "Live Wire," is garnering plenty of attention from the public. While the book currently sits on The New York Times' bestseller list, Ripa has founded her name in the press for her comments on former co-host, Regis Philbin, as well as for her back-and-forth feud with Kathie Lee Gifford, for whom she famously took over when Gifford left "Live" in 2000.

It all began when Ripa sat down for an interview with People and spilled the tea about her time working with Philbin. Ripa said that she had "good and bad days" in her ten years with Philbin, though she insisted that she was not trying to be "disrespectful" or rude. "I also want people to know it was not a cakewalk. It took years to earn my place there and earn things that are routinely given to the men I worked with," she shared. "Including an office and a place to put my computer." Once Gifford caught wind of Ripa's interview, she said she didn't want to read Ripa's book. In an interview with Fox News, Gifford called Philbin, a "great friend." 

Upon hearing Gifford's interview, Ripa appeared on the "Not Skinny Not Fat" podcast, where she said, "I am a person that tends to take a negative and turn it into a positive. And so my ultimate comment is, thank you," seeming to allude to Gifford's comments. And that's not the only thing she shared during her appearance. 

Can you imagine a world in which Kelly Ripa didn't sign on to host alongside Regis Philbin? Well, if Ripa had known what she knows now, she may not have ever done it. Ripa spoke about the hit series on the "Not Skinny Not Fat" podcast, and she didn't hold back.

"If I had known [about the show's issues] going in, I wouldn't have done it. And how sad for me," she confessed, adding that sometimes "ignorance is bliss." When she first landed the gig, the mother of three explained that she didn't realize there would be so much drama between Philbin and the network, ABC. But, she still said that she sided with Philbin for one reason. "He should not have had to have a host assigned to him. That's not fair. He paid his dues, and he established this show," she added.

In a since-deleted Instagram post (via Prevention), Ripa spoke fondly of Philbin after he died in 2020. She shared that she was "saddened" by the loss of her former colleague, calling him "the ultimate class act" who brought "his laughter and joy into our homes everyday" over the years.