TV veteran Regis Philbin to retire

Regis Philbin, a familiar face on U.S. talk shows and game shows for decades, has announced his retirement from his longtime morning show, Live with Regis and Kelly.

Philbin, who in 2004 was deemed the Guinness World Record-holder for the most time spent in front of a television camera, revealed on Tuesdayhe's stepping down fromthe daytimetalk showsometime at the end of the summer.

The 79-year-old broadcaster, a multiple Daytime Emmy Award winner, did not specify a departure date.

"It's been a long time. It's been 28 years," he told the New York City audience.

"There is a time that everything must come to an end for certain people on camera especially certain old people!" he quipped.

New York-born Philbin got his start behind the scenes in radio and television before moving in front of the camera to host a local San Diego talk show. He went national in the late 1960s when he became the sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show.

After a multitude of other hosting gigs, Philbin was paired with Kathie Lee Johnson (later Gifford) in 1985 for a local New York morning show. Three years later, the successful show was nationally syndicated.

After Gifford's departure in 2000, Philbin shared hosting duties with a variety of co-hosts until Ripa was named hisfull-time co-host.

Philbin and Ripa took their show to Prince Edward Island last summer, with viewers from around the worldtuning in to see the co-hosts experience the province's seafood, beaches, golf courses and other Island attractions.

Over the years, Philbin also served as host for a number of game shows, specialsand variety programs, including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire andDick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.