REGIS & KELLY TELL IT LIKE IT IS — IT’S SAFE TO READ THE ENQUIRER

WE COULDN’T have said it better ourselves! Talk show kink Regis Philbin and co-host Kelly Ripa spoke out on live TV, calming fears of some ENQUIRER readers by explaining that it’s impossible to contract anthrax by touching the paper The ENQUIRER is printed on.

After employees at American Media, Inc’s Boca Raton, Fla., offices became the nation’s first victims of a bioterrorist attack, Regis and his sidekick went to bat for The ENQUIRER in a broadcast to their millions of viewers.

On “Live With Regis & Kelly,” the talk show hosts openly discussed concerns among some readers that they could contract anthrax from handling The ENQUIRER — and correctly assured them it’s impossible to catch the bacteria simply by coming into contact with the newspaper.

“People are afraid to buy the tabloids because they’re afraid that they can get anthrax from touching them,” Kelly said. “That is not true. They’re printed in a whole other facility and you cannot get anthrax from touching tabloids.”

“Well, it was amazing,” Regis said. “It looks like somebody planted the stuff in there. You put it on the computer, or the mailroom guy gets it.”

“And these people have families,” Kelly said. “They were showing that one man who was terribly sick — who, thank God has not passed away — holding his grandchild, and you think, why? Because he touched the wrong computer, because somebody is crazy.”

The ENQUIRER thanks Regis and Kelly for their kind words and support during this difficult time.

Only days later Regis dropped a bombshell by announcing he is living his own anthrax nightmare.

He said he feared he might have been exposed to anthrax when he was visiting New York Gov. Pataki’s office to attend a press conference there a few weeks ago. It was later learned that traces of the deadly bacteria were found there.

He’s been seeking the advice of medical experts because he’s concerned he may be at risk and is considering taking the antibiotic Cipro to be on the safe side.

After Regis revealed his concerns for his health, he lashed out at those responsible for spreading anthrax.

“I want to get these guys and bash their faces in!” said the angry star.