Regis Philbin Announces Departure from LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY

Could it be? The longtime talk show host, American media personality and HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER guest star Regis Philbin has announced that he will be leaving LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY in the summer or fall of this year.

Philbin, who holds the world record for most time spent in front of a television camera, made the announcement towards the end of Tuesday’s broadcast of the show. “It’s been a long time,” Philbin began. “It’s been 28 years and it was the biggest thrill of my life to come back to New York, where I grew up as a kid watching TV in the early days, you know—never even dreaming that I would one day have the ability, or whatever it takes, to get in front of the camera and talk to it…There is a time that everything must come to an end for certain people on camera—especially certain old people!”

LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY, as many of you know, has cycled through three female hosts over its nearly thirty year run: Cindy Garvey, Kathy Lee Gifford have come and gone with Kelly Ripa coming up on her ten year anniversary with the show. But Regis has been there the whole time. Now, at 79, he’s decided to move on.

What do you guys think?

And can you picture anyone filling his shoes adequately?

My vote goes toward Anderson Cooper or Neil Patrick Harris — I always enjoy when they take over co-hosting duties for a day — though both those boys would probably be a long shot, especially considering Anderson’s already in talks for his very own show, and NPH is pretty busy out in L.A.

Other ideas?