Kathie Lee Gifford: 'Regis Philbin and I had something so magical'

As "Live with Regis & Kelly" said goodbye to Regis Philbin, his former co-host, Kathie Lee Gifford, watched with a warm heart. Kathie Lee Gifford, who sat beside Regis between 1985 and 2000, made special effort to be there -- in fact, she had to broadcast for "Today" from the car on the way back to the studio.

Thoughtfully, Hoda waited for her with a glass of wine.

Kathie Lee reflected kindly on her years with Regis -- and gave Hoda some props, too. "Regis and I had something so magical for so many years that I left TV thinking I've done the best 15 years of television I can personally ever do and that's why I thought I'd never go back. Until I met Hoda woman," she teased. "And I said to the producers, 'What [Hoda] and I are feeling now in our show is so reminiscent of what Rege and I felt like the first couple years we were together."

Despite her good spot now, Kathie Lee admits she did shed a few tears for Regis. "I didn't cry until the cast from 'Rent' started singing. That's when Kelly lost it. It was a sweet moment."

Watch Kathie Lee discuss the second-to-last show, and her career advice for Regis, in the clip below.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy