Whether he's shilling for All-Bran, singing his heart out or poking fun at his Live co-host Kelly Ripa, Regis Philbin knows how to do it all with his trademark zeal and fervour.
He was a tightly wound-up ball of energy when he sat down at the Niagara Fallsview Casino over the weekend to chat about his new partnership with Kellogg's before playing a three-night stint with his wife Joy.
In 1992, while on location in the Caribbean, tightness in his chest due to a blocked artery resulted in an angioplasty, he recalls. Since then, keeping his cholesterol in check and exercising have been key to the fit Reege we see today, and made the Kellogg's union a natural one.
Getting people to eat their fibre is right up there with making broccoli look sexy but, following in the off-kilter footsteps of former spokesperson William Shatner, Philbin is confident that All-Bran Guardian makes it foolproof.
"It's in the cereal to begin with," he laughs. "It's the easiest way I know of. You can put a little fruit on top and that makes for a very tasty dish. I can have my cholesterol levels reduced by 10 per cent because of the psyllium fibre if I have it everyday, which I do."
Philbin can now add All-Bran man to his already saturated resume that includes talk show host, game show host (he is currently hosting Gong Show look-alike "America's Got Talent"), actor, singer, and one-time fashion innovator when he popularized the monochromatic look on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" With a schedule that would make anyone feel a vacation coming on, Philbin decided to stick with doing his two current shows when renewing his contract.
"A couple months ago, I had the chance to sign up for one more year or three more years," he says. "So I chose the three. I would miss my show terribly. I love the Talent show; I think it's a great idea. But I love what I'm doing in the morning as well. That's what I've been doing all these years and I get a kick out of it and Kelly's great to work with, so why would I leave?"
Despite all his success, the usually outspoken Philbin is humble when it comes to talking about a singing career that he all but stumbled upon and has only seen him make two records - 35 years apart - and one Christmas album.
"I sang to Bing Crosby on the Joey Bishop show and I got a recording contract and I made a record. Shows you how crazy this business is: No experience, no training, nothing - and I got this record. I love it though, it's a nice departure. But I know who I am, I'm a talk show host."
