A potential national morning talk-show crises has officially been averted.
Regis Philbin will return as co-host of “Live! With Regis and Kelly” on Jan. 4, distributor Disney-ABC Domestic Television announced Wednesday.
Philbin set off a minor media panic last month, when he announced on his show that he was due to have hip surgery, while setting a return date for “sometime next year.”
The ambiguity of that timeline led some to speculate that Philbin’s health situation might be more dire. However, the Jan. 4 timeline coincides with the four-week recovery period Disney announced following the 78-year-old entertainer’s Dec. 1 surgery.
Slated guests for Philbin’s first week back include Amy Adams, Gabourey Sidibie, Tim Allen, and Capt. Chesley Sullenberger.