Spontaneity key for 'Regis and Kelly'

NEW YORK, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Kelly Ripa says her New York-based show "Live with Regis and Kelly" keeps the energy level high by not over-preparing before the cameras start rolling.

While celebrity guests are interviewed by producers before they appear on the show, Ripa said she and co-host Regis Philbin don't rehearse with them before the gab-fest begins.

"We try to keep it light and spontaneous. And I think the celebrities really enjoy doing our show. They seem very relaxed," Ripa told reporters in a recent teleconference.

"We try to know the basics about them -- how many kids they have, who their wives are, that sort of thing, but the best is when you can get something that hasn’t been revealed during the press junkets because a lot of the interviews can be the same thing over and over again."