David Letterman's a one-man welcoming committee.
The late-night funnyman will appear as the guest on Live with Regis and Kelly Thursday, Regis Philbin's first day back on chat duty since undergoing triple-bypass surgery six weeks ago.
Kelly Ripa announced the news on Monday's show, calling Letterman's show of support "very appropriate."
Not to mention very expected.
Letterman has historically booked Philbin as the premiere guest following the Late Night host's own medical leaves of absence.
In 2000, Philbin appeared as the guest on Late Night when Letterman announced his own ticker troubles and again five weeks later when Letterman returned to the show after quintuple-bypass surgery. Philbin also stood in for Letterman three years later when the Top 10 purveyor was in a shingles-induced sick bay.
Now, Letterman's stepping up to return the favor.
Philbin, 75, revealed he was going under the knife in early March, telling the Live audience he had been checked out by several doctors who had reached the consensus that "there's some plaque in some arteries and I've got to get it cleaned out."
One of those physicians was Dr. O. Wayne Isom, the Weill Cornell Medical Center specialist who performed Letterman's surgery and whom the late-night host trotted out on air to thank, post-procedure. Isom also wielded the scalpel for Philbin's procedure on Mar. 14. Or, as Letterman indelicately put it, the good doctor "busted [Philbin] open like a lobster."
Ripa announced that her partner made it through "with flying colors" and was already busy "harassing" nurses. Philbin was released from the hospital five days after the procedure and since then has periodically phoned in his progress to the show.
With Philbin on the D-L for nearly six weeks, a rotating roster of guests has logged desk time, including Neil Patrick Harris, Anderson Cooper, Damien Fahey, Martin Short, Howie Mandel, Pat Sajak, Donald Trump and Jeff Probst.
Philbin's timing is auspicious—Thursday marks the beginning of May sweeps.