Kelly Ripa's Teary Farewell To Regis Philbin (VIDEO)

Kelly Ripa gave Regis Philbin an emotional farewell on Friday's program, recounting the time they spent together and thanking him for changing her life.

She began her heartfelt message by going against Regis' advice and reading off a piece of paper (the beloved host is known for his unscripted stories). "How many steps does it take to change the course of a person's day?" she asked. "I happen to know that it is forty-three exactly."

A teary-eyed Ripa said that that's the number of steps they take together from their dressing rooms to the set -- "except for when you have off on Fridays," Ripa joked. "And Fridays and Mondays in the summer."

She described their morning routine, when Regis jokingly tells the security guards not to look at her because "she's too beautiful to be looked at." "The point is that you always want to make me feel like a million bucks," she told Regis, who looked on appreciatively.

Then, she recounted one particular memory that stood out to her over the past eleven years: her first day co-hosting with Regis. "I was absolutely filled with fear and you grabbed my hand and we walked down the hallway, came out the door and you did something for me," she said. "I've never told you this -- but you said, 'You see that, sweetie? That's all for you, all these people are here for you!'"

Watch (via Business Insider):

Big moments from Regis Philbin's farewell: