Regis Philbin taking down time for hip surgery

The man who's spent more time on TV than anyone in history will be taking some time off soon.

Regis Philbin says he'll take a leave of absence from "Live with Regis and Kelly" to have hip surgery. He's scheduled to go under the knife in New York on Dec. 1, following a week of shows in Las Vegas this week.

"I'm going to have my hip replaced. I've been limping around here, and it really is painful," Philbin said on Monday's show. "I'll be back next year."

Philbin, 78, holds the Guinness world record for having spent the most hours on camera. As of 2006, the last time the record was updated, he had logged 15,662 hours on screen; three more years of "Live," hosting "Million Dollar Password" on CBS and other guest and talk-show appearances have only added to that.

No one will threaten that record in the time he's out; the show says recovery time for the surgery is usually four to six weeks, which could have Philbin back on the air in mid-January.

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Photo credit: CBS