Regis Philbin is 'hurt' and wants to work, says source

Regis Philbin is 'hurt' and wants to work, says source

Charles Sykes/AP

Regis Philbin, seen here on his farewell "Live!'' in November 2011, hasn't been on the show since.

Michael Strahan is officially a TV darling â€" and Regis Philbin isn’t happy about it. Following an extremely flattering profile in The New York Times, the former footballer has now landed the cover of Men’s Health, where he calls himself “the luckiest motherfâ€"er in the world.” But Philbin’s feeling pretty down these days about being shoved aside, a source tells Confidenti@l.

The 81-year-old TV personality is having a hard time dealing with seeing his replacement not only on “Live! With Kelly and Michael,” but creeping into his circle in New York. Reege also desperately wants to get back to work himself.

“Of course, it hurts him; of course, it affects him,” a source close to Reege tells Confidenti@l. “Has he ever been on the show since he’s left? No. That’s it for him. He can’t be too happy about that since leaving.”

Our source says that in New York, Regis and Strahan are now often invited to the same VIP parties.

“This guy’s got better ratings than Regis ever got,” our source says. “It’s upsetting for him, he’s the greatest guy. He just wants to work. He doesn’t like (his wife) Joy looking at him all day.”

Philbin has been clamoring to get back into a regular TV gig and is in advanced talks to land a daily afternoon talk show on Fox’s new all-sports network that is expected to launch this summer, network insiders say.

Meanwhile, Strahan, 41. is looking buff on the cover of the magazine, where he says television is unlike anything he’s ever experienced. “They don’t tell you how to be on TV - they put the camera on you and they turn it on, and you sink or swim,” he tells the mag.

“For the first three weeks, I swear I was sinking, and I remember thinking, ‘I should’ve gone back for that one year and played football. I should’ve played as long as I could, because I don’t know about this.’”

Neither a rep for “Live!” nor Philbin’s rep would comment.

STILL RAVIN’ ABOUT THEIR WIN

The Baltimore Ravens are still celebrating the Super Bowl. More than a week after winning the big game, offensive lineman Bryant McKinnie hosted a victory party at SoHo club Greenhouse Tuesday morning â€" despite concerns the Ravens might not shell out money to bring him back next season. In front of a crowd that included Lil’ Kim and basketballer Ty Lawson, our insider says Ravens standout and New Rochelle native Ray Rice took the club mic and joked, “I will give you $ 5 million from my pay to stay.”

JAMIE DESERVES A TOAST IN L.A.

Meadow Soprano is adding to la famiglia. Jamie Lynn-Sigler, her baby bump and Cutter Dykstra, her 23-year-old, baseball-playing fiancé, stepped out for a bite Wednesday at Toast in Los Angeles. Sigler, 31, stars in NBC’s “Guys With Kids.” Dykstra, the son of former Met Lenny (Nails) Dykstra, is a third baseman in the Washington Nationals' organization.

POSEN’S CLOSIN’ ON A NEW PAD