Kelly Ripa says she and Ryan Seacrest are “good time Charlies” on Live, while Regis Philbin had a “no-talking off-camera” rule

The New York Times

In a profile of their Live pairing, Ripa calls Seacrest “the future of the franchise. He’s the future of ABC.” Seacrest returned the compliment: “If it were raining outside and there was a puddle, I’d want to stand in front of Kelly so she wouldn’t get wet. There’s that protection thing. As for Regis Philbin, Ripa says of their relationship: “Regis had a mandate: Absolutely no talking off-camera. He had almost a superstition about it. You save it for the show. I’d be like, ‘Good morning,’ and he’d say, ‘Save it for the air!’”