Regis Philbin on Kelly Ripa: ‘She Got Very Offended When I Left’ (Updated)

Former “Live” co-host says he has never been asked to appear on show since his retirement in 2011

UPDATED at 1:35 p.m.: ABC sent the following statement to TheWrap: “It was wonderful to have Regis on the show for our 2015 Halloween special. He’s also been invited back several times as a guest, and in fact was confirmed for a date, but was not able to make it at the time.”

PREVIOUSLY:

Former “Live” host Regis Philbin revealed that there is some bad blood between himself and his co-host Kelly Ripa.

“She got very offended when I left. She thought I was leaving because of her,” Philbin said in an interview with Larry King. “I was leaving because I was getting older and it was not right for me anymore.”

When King asked if the show’s producers have ever asked him to return to make a guest appearance following his 2011 retirement, he said, “Never once did they ask me to go back.”

Philbin began hosting “Live” in 1988. Ripa joined him in 2001 and the two worked together up until his retirement, when Michael Strahan took over for him.

This is the latest co-host drama involving Ripa. She is still looking for her permanent replacement for Strahan‘s seat, which was vacated by the former NFL defensive end last year. The ex-New York Giants great bailed on the late-morning chat program for the greener pastures (and earlier call times) of ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Since then, Ripa has tried out roughly 40 co-hosts. Not all of them are pining for the permanent gig of course, but TheWrap has each of their Nielsen TV ratings results ranked here for readers.

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