Philbin phones into 'Letterman'

NEW YORK, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Regis Philbin, who is at home in New York recovering from hip-replacement surgery, read the Top 10 list on "Late Show with David Letterman" by phone Tuesday.

The list was aptly named "Top 10 Ways Regis is Passing the Time While Recovering from Hip Surgery."

Among the 10 items Philbin presented included No. 10: "It's none of your damn business!;" No. 9: "Annoying the hell out of Joy;" and No. 8: "Watching movies on Lifetime and crying my eyes out."

While on the phone, Letterman asked Philbin which was more difficult -- the hip surgery or the heart operation he previously had.

"Well, I tell you," Philbin replied, "the hip surprised me. I think the heart is probably more difficult, but the hip is holding its own, believe me."

"Yeah, well, now if the hip is holding its own, they've made some sort of surgical mistake," Letterman quipped.

Philbin, who is on leave from his own talk show "Live! with Regis and Kelly" while he recuperates, said his leg "still hurts like heck," but he's walking around now with a cane and a "bad limp," CBS said.