It isn't too hard to say that Kelly Ripa is head and shoulders above Kathie Lee Gifford as Regis Philbin's co-host, at least she is in regards to my personal taste. Surely it is something difficult to empirically prove as ratings for each have run fairly close over the long haul. The only way to defend my position then is to explain why Kelly is least in my opinion better as Regis' co-host.
Having watched each on and off over the years there were moments I found Kathie Lee entertaining. Sometimes she was downright funny, every couple of months maybe. More often than not though she just irritated me. Sure she had a wonderful singing voice but at that hour of the morning I didn't want to hear it even if just in brief snippets. I know she loves her family but I have plenty of friends that are moms like me and hear the "he/she just did the cutest thing" stories just as much as I tell them. I really didn't care to hear what Cody did. I don't know Cody and likely never will. Let's not even get into detail about how tired I was of hearing about Frank "the sex machine." That was a picture I did not need to have planted in my mind to start the day.
However with those things I found annoying I did think she was a marginally capable co-host. She did a good job with interviews sometimes. She could be engaging with her stories but usually wasn't, and she could give me a giggle now and then although it was usually limited to her making a mistake. All told her negatives outweighed her positives.
Kelly Ripa is in my opinion pure dyn-o-mite as Jimmie Walker would say. As soon as I see her I feel better. I know that sounds crazy but just her smile and bubbly personality picks me up. Sure she shares some stories now and then I just don't feel like hearing, but it's not the same thing everyday. Her banter with Regis is priceless. The faces she makes crack me up. She can make even the most bone dry boring guest perk up and get through an interview with some entertainment value.
Kelly just has that intangible quality they call "it." It is so nice to see she can poke fun at herself and the industry that has made her so wealthy and famous as well as almost anything without it seeming rehearsed or witchy. She can address serious subjects and have instant credibility because she is not above admitting she does not know all the answers, and she has a knack for asking questions regular people in the viewing audience want to know about. She never makes you feel like she is above you or that she is talking down to you. She is the person that was seemingly born to sit in that chair next to Regis.
For me personally I have to say Kelly Ripa is the better co-host. Kathie Lee was adequate, no argument there, she just didn't make me feel like I had a connection to her which Kelly does do. That is what makes the show work, I feel like I am tuning in and seeing a friend when I see Kelly, Kathie Lee was to me just a co-host doing a job. The comparison Is like driving and Edsel or being driven in a Mercedes, Kelly is just that much better. My reasoning sure isn't scientific, but it is why I choose Kelly over Kathie Lee without hesitation.