It looks like comedian Howie Mandel is walking back his words days after his intensely awkward back-and-forth with Kelly Ripa on-air.
The show was airing, and the lights were bright on set when the longtime “America’s Got Talent” show host nearly snapped on the set of “Live with Kelly and Mark” in front of Ripa and her husband, Mark Consuelos.
During the March 23rd episode, Mandel had an eyebrow-raising reaction when Ripa gave him a compliment about his age.
He took offense when Ripa brought up that he turned 70 last November, adding, “That doesn’t make any sense.” When Mandel questioned why, her husband stepped in to explain ‘You look great.'”
“That doesn’t mean anything to me,” Mandel said, before pointing his finger in their direction and at the ground, letting the Ripa and her husband know how he really feels. “No! No. No. I don’t like that, ’cause that’s a caveat. Because you tell somebody they’re 70, and they go ‘You look great.”
Mandel didn’t like the comment because, “It’s like saying, ‘You’re smart for a stupid person,’” he said as the audience laughed. “‘Oh, you look smart! You seem smart!’ I don’t look good.”
Two shocked viewers who saw the episode said, “He takes the complement from Mark but not Kelly. Strange guy Howie is,” and “Noticed that Mark did N0T seem cool with the aggressiveness toward his wife, either. Adios, weirdo-howie…”
As fans picked sides, the Toronto native said he now has a change of heart after 48 hours of reflection on Saturday, March 28, in a self-filmed video.
While walking on a beach in an unknown area, Mandel said, “OK, um, I have been debating for 48 hours whether I should make this post or not. And I don’t know if i’m doing the right thing or not. Philosophically, I don’t believe that somebody needs to – somebody who’s a comedian needs to apologize for a joke.”
“It is a joke.” Mandel expressed. “It is meant as a joke and it’s not meant to offend, You can not like it.”
He fumbled for the right words as he tried to keep going. After boldly claiming he’d never apologized for a joke in his 50 years in showbiz, he paused and finally said, “Wow, this is tougher than I thought!”
“This is for Kelly Ripa, who in the past has been incredibly supportive,” he continued.
As a former guest and co-host of the show, as well as a close friend of producer Michael Gelman, he expressed concern that he might have offended someone with his response. “When I go out there, I just try to be entertaining and funny. Sometimes, as a comedian, things don’t land the way I intend for them to,” he Mandel stated.
He concluded, “I’m sorry to Kelly, but – and this is the hardest part – you’re right. You’re absolutely right. And I’m sorry I didn’t see it that way.”
Ending his serious speech with a familiar comedic touch, he said, “But after a lot of thought and self reflection I do – I look great for my age I really do. I look fantastic and I just have to embrace the fact that I look this good.”
Gelman, who is the executive producer of the show, commented on Mandel’s apology video and noted, “During these divided times, one thing we can all agree upon is that you do look great … for your age.”
During the episode, Ripa tried to explain to Mandel, “No we’re not saying you look great for 70. You look great.” However, Mandel interjected, “Yes, you are, without saying, 70.”
Consuelos hopped in almost defensively and sarcastically, “I am saying that. I am saying,” while placing his hand on his chest.
Mandel’s apology received mixed reviews, with some people under the video saying that the apology wasn’t even necessary.
One person on his side commented, “I’m glad he went after her. Kelly’s comment was backhanded.” Another person siding with Kelly said, “I totally agree! This was not him joking! Kelly said nothing wrong!”
Someone else who didn’t believe the apology was meaningful wrote, “5 business days later… the worst worded ‘apology’ ever. If you dont mean it dont say it. This bumbling mess was worse than not saying anything.”
There was someone else who picked up on Consuelos quickly stepping in to take the heat from his wife, writing, “Mark immediately jumped in to protect Kelly, his wife!”
Though Gelman seemed to have a lighthearted response, it’s not clear if Ripa and Consuelos feel the same way. While Mandel did tag Ripa in his apology video, she nor her husband has yet to respond to or even like the video.
