Kelly Ripa urged fans to cherish their loved ones on Monday after the loss of her dear friend, Phil Donahue . Taking to Instagram with a poignant photo and message, the Live with Kelly and Mark host shared her heartbreak at the death of the popular TV personality. Alongside a snapshot of her, her husband Mark Consuelos , Phil and his wife, Marlo Thomas, she wrote: "Good friends are hard to come by and even harder to lose.
To a life well lived. We love you Marlo and will miss Phil eternally #ripphildonahue ." Kelly added a broken heart emoji.
She was inundated with prayers and kind words from her social media followers, who also expressed their sadness at his passing at the age of 88. It was announced on Monday that the legendary talk show host passed away on Sunday, August 18 following a long illness. He was surrounded by his wife of 44 years, their children, grandchildren, and his beloved golden retriever, Charlie.
Phil paved the way for the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Springer and Ellen DeGeneres after launching The Phil Donahue Show in 1967 and revolutionizing the talk show industry. Kelly's photo with Phil and Marlo was taken in April 2021 when they were interviewed on Double Date with Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue . The concept of the podcast was to interview longtime couples about their relationships.
At the time, Kelly expressed her surprise when Marlo revealed she hadn't expected to get married. "All my girlfriends got married," she said. "I was a bridesmaid a milli.