Watch Jimmy Kimmel honor Regis Philbin in touching Who Wants to Be a Millionaire clip

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire pays tribute to Regis Philbin

Jimmy Kimmel and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire pay tribute to former host Regis Philbin

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is honoring its roots ahead of its 22nd season premiere — namely, its original host, Regis Philbin.

The legendary TV personality, who died in July at age 88, presided over the original network version of Millionaire from 1999 to 2002. Now, the game show is paying tribute to Philbin with a touching clip featuring current host Jimmy Kimmel. The clip shows a conversation between the two when Philbin visited the set of ABC's Millionaire reboot during production of the first season.

"I'm hosting this show, but this is his show," Kimmel says in the video, telling Philbin, "No one will ever be better at doing this than you... That's why people love this show. It's a great game, but Regis is the reason."

Kimmel previously paid tribute to Philbin after his death, writing on Twitter, "Regis was a great broadcaster, a good friend and a tremendous amount of fun. He leaves behind a beautiful family and a TV legacy that will likely go unmatched. Regis, I hope our friend [Don] Rickles met you at the pearly gates with open arms and a slew of the insults you loved so much."

Indeed: the video also features behind-the-scenes footage of Philbin on the Millionaire set, including a hilarious encounter with celebrity contestant Rosie O'Donnell. The comedian excitedly embraces Philbin, who quips, "Give her a hundred bucks and get her out of here."

The new season of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire premieres this Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. You can watch the full video above.

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