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The 79 year-old Philbin, whose star took a greater turn in 1999 when he hosted the U.S. debut of 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,' announced on Jan. 18, 2011 that he will vacate his morning chat show.
Since the Emmy Award-winning TV veteran is moving away from his daytime talk show and Kelly Ripa will be searching for a new co-host, BlackVoices.com has assembled a list of seven worthy contenders who we think deserve a shot at filling Reeg's seat.
Arsenio Hall - One of the most successful hosts in the late night television
realm, Arsenio Hall changed the game with his syndicated 'The Arsenio Hall Show.' Hall interviewed everyone from Paula Abdul to President Bill Clinton on his late night show, though he came under scrutiny when he devoted an entire hour to Minister Louis Farrakhan. After five and a half years the show ended and Hall went on to host a revamped version of 'Star Search;' starred in a short-lived sitcom called, 'Arsenio;' was featured on the series 'Martial Law,' and hosted a show called 'The World's Funniest Moments.' The 54-year-old comic did confess recently on Twitter he misses being on TV and Philbin's exit could be perfect timing.TJ Holmes - He's the CNN talent who anchors the weekend morning edition of 'CNN Newsroom,' where he's worked since Oct. 2006. The 33-year-old has reported hard-hitting
news stories like the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India to the Virginia Tech shooting from location in Blacksburg, Virginia. On the lighter side, he's also interviewed everyone from Dolly Parton to Kirk Franklin, and even got a full physical - treadmill run and all - for Tom Joyner's 'Take a Love One to the Doctor Day' on TV. Holmes came to CNN from NBC11 in the San Francisco Bay Area. While at NBC, he traveled to Athens, Greece to cover the 2004 Olympics, the first Summer Games held since the September 11th terrorist attacks. Though there are reports that Holmes will take over as permanent host of CNN's 'American Morning,' the charismatic anchor is definitely worthy of consideration for the seat opposite Ripa.George Wallace - This Atlanta-bred comic is called 'The New Mr. Las Vegas' because of his best-selling headlining show at The Flamingo Hotel & Res
ort in Las Vegas. Named Best Male Standup Comedian at the 1995 American Comedy Awards, Wallace has starred in a bevy of films including 'The Ladykillers,' 'Batman Forever,' 'A Rage in Harlem,' 'The Wash,' and 'Things Are Tough All Over.' The 58-year-old funnyman has also worked in radio, appearing regularly on the nationally syndicated 'Tom Joyner Morning Show' and co-hosting local shows with the late Isaac Hayes (New York City) and motivational speaker Les Brown (Washington, DC). Wallace, who was named as one of Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time, was the best man at the wedding of Jerry Seinfeld. Being funny and informed is just the thing that makes Wallace a contender for Philbin's seat on 'Live.'Wayne Brady - The 38-year-old Orlando-native is an actor, singer, dancer and comedian. He rose to stardom on ABC's 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?,' which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award. His short-lived talk show, '
The Wayne Brady Show,' landed him two Daytime Emmy Awards for 'Outstanding Talk Show Host.' A variety of gigs followed - everything from a run on Broadway as Billy Flynn in 'Chicago;' a guest-starring stint on the UPN sitcom 'Girlfriends;' hosting the Fox reality show 'Celebrity Duets;' and writing and singing the theme song for Disney's animated series 'The Weekenders.' Brady performs in Las Vegas where he headlines the variety show, 'Making It Up' at The Venetian Hotel. He was nominated for a Grammy Awards for his debut CD, 'A Long Time Coming' (Peak Records/Concord Music Group) in 2008. Brady currently hosts the game show, 'Let's Make a Deal' and is one of the many names already being tossed around to replace Philbin.Kevin Frazier - He's a lead correspondent for 'Entertainment Tonight' a
s well as the show's fill-in host. On the news magazine show, Frazier has covered everything from President Barack Obama's inauguration in Washington, D.C.; the death of Michael Jackson; and the Tiger Woods mistress scandal. The 45-year-old talent worked as an anchor at Fox Sports Net before joining 'Entertainment Tonight.' He also worked at ESPN, where he hosted 'SportsCenter' and several NBA-themed programs including 'NBA Shootaround,' 'NBA Fastbreak' and 'NBA Fastbreak Tuesday.' Frazier, who also hosts 'The T.Ocho Show' with Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, recently launched a website called HipHollywood.com. The balance of sports and entertainment makes him a man after Philbin's own heart and a strong contender for the gig on 'Live.'Steve Harvey - He's currently one of the hottest talents in entertainment, hosting a syndicated radio show, a game show, a reality series and regu
larly contributing to a morning news show. Steve Harvey has taken the industry by storm since the he released his New York Times best-selling book, 'Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man' (Amistad). His syndicated radio program, 'Steve Harvey Morning Show' is one of the top urban radio shows and can now be seen on TV on BET's sister network, Centric. Harvey is also now a contributor on ABC's 'Good Morning America' and is the newest host of the syndicated game show, 'Family Feud.' The 54-year-old 'Original Kings of Comedy' also hosts an annual enrichment program for inner city kids called 'Disney Dreamers Academy.' His equity in entertainment definitely makes him an obvious candidate to be considered a replacement for Philbin.Stephen A. Smith - Gayle King declared on her OWN show that Stephen A. Smith is her pick to replace Philbin. Smith started out as a sportswriter an
d has since become a staple in the sports entertainment with a presence on television and radio. Smith's career at ESPN began when he was hired him away from Fox SportsNet's 'Best Damn Sports Show, Period!' to become an analyst/insider on, 'NBA Shootaround.' He has also contributed his in-your-face approach to sports commentaries on ESPN's 'SportsCenter' and 'ESPNews.' Smith hosted his own talk show, 'Quite Frankly from Aug. 2005 to Jan. 2007. On radio, the 43-year-old Smith hosted his own weekday radio show on 1050 ESPN in New York and due to its success, the show was picked up nationwide. Smith was a guest host on 'The View' several times in 2010. His ability to talk sports and expound on everything from entertainment to relationships makes him a strong candidate for consideration by 'Live.'Related Articles
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