Sean Hannity remembered his dear friend and former "Hannity & Colmes" co-host, Alan Colmes, who passed away today at age 66.

In a statement this morning, Hannity called Alan Colmes "one of life's most decent, kind and wonderful people you'd ever want to meet."

"When Alan and I started 'Hannity & Colmes,' there wasn't a day that went by where we didn't say we were the two most fortunate men in all of television," said Hannity.

Despite their political differences, Hannity said the two "forged a deep friendship" over the years.

"Alan, in the midst of great sickness and illness, showed the single greatest amount of courage I've ever seen," he said.

On "America's Newsroom," Sean joined Bill Hemmer by phone to discuss the death of his dear friend, who was with Fox News Channel since its inception in 1996.

"We had a deep, abiding friendship. It was never personal when we disagreed," said Hannity, saying it feels like a "part of me left today."

Hannity said there is a lot of "infighting" in television, but "everybody" in the Fox News office loved and respected Colmes.

"The world is a little darker place today because a really great human being left us," he added.

Sean called Colmes one of the funniest people he ever met, noting that he started his career in stand-up comedy.

"I want people to know: this was a good man with a great, huge heart. ... I have a hole in my heart today."

Colmes leaves behind his wife, Jocelyn Crowley. Her sister, former Fox News contributor Monica Crowley, remembered her brother-in-law on Facebook:

Kimberly Guilfoyle also spoke with Hannity about his former co-host, and played a montage of Alan's best "Hannity & Colmes" moments:

"It just brings back all the memories and all the fun," Hannity said. "He was as liberal as you could get, but he believed it passionately."

Hannity said he and Colmes, as Fox News Channel "originals" back in 1996, had a "common goal."

"We wanted this show to succeed... we were just hoping to try to survive, and to do that, we developed a friendship."

Hannity called Colmes "one of the most-liked people at Fox News" and remembered his "great sense of humor."

"You can't replace him," he said.

Read more remembrances of Colmes from the Fox News family, here.

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