Dick Clark plans to watch his annual New Year’s Eve show from the hospital bed where he is recovering from a stroke.
The 75-year-old TV personality-producer suffered what was described as a mild stroke and has been hospitalized since Dec. 6. Regis Philbin will fill in Friday as host of ABC-TV’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2005.”
Clark, who went from hosting “American Bandstand,” “Bloopers” and game shows to producing awards ceremonies, has been a television New Year’s Eve tradition for 32 years with his shows from Times Square in New York.
“Even though I won’t be in New York this year, I will be watching ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ on TV and there’s one tradition I intend to maintain,” Clark said Wednesday in a statement. “As I always have in the past, at midnight I plan on kissing my wife, Kari, and wishing her a happy new year.”
Clark has been “doing some rehab,” said publicist Paul Shefrin. He wouldn’t give any details about the impact of the stroke or discuss whether there had been paralysis or impaired speech.
“I will neither confirm nor deny what’s in the tabloids but there are things in the tabloid reports that are false,” Shefrin said, noting, “I talked with him last night.”
Shefrin said doctors are thrilled with Clark’s progress.
“He’s still in the hospital and there’s nothing definite on when he will be released,” Shefrin said Wednesday. “He will be there through the new year. It’s all up to the doctors when he’ll get out.”
Clark produces the American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and Golden Globe Awards.