Howie Mandel went on “Live with Kelly and Mark” to celebrate a milestone birthday and have a few laughs — but it ended with a public apology to Kelly Ripa. One awkward moment about age and compliments turned into an uncomfortable back-and-forth that followed him after the show ended. Now, Mandel took to Instagram to reveal that he thought about it for two days and then decided to send Ripa a message publicly.
Howie Mandel apologizes for a joke that didn’t land well
During the “Live with Kelly and Mark” segment, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos brought up that Howie Mandel had turned 70. Mandel jumped in with confidence, confirming, “Yes, I’m 70.” When Ripa reacted by saying it “doesn’t make any sense,” Mandel disproved and told her why the compliment bothered him.
Madel responded, “When you say you’re — ’Cuz you tell somebody you’re 70 and they go, ‘You look great,’” but Ripa tried to clarify that she meant it plainly, not as “great for 70.” Even so, Mandel pushed back, saying, “It’s like saying you’re smart for a stupid person.”
Ripa still held her ground in the moment, while Mandel held onto the joke, saying, “Honesty now, I’ll be serious for a minute,” he said. “I am gorgeous. I am.”
After the exchange made headlines, Mandel posted an apology video on Instagram. He admitted he wrestled with whether to say anything at all, starting the message with, “Okay, I have been debating for 48 hours whether I should make this post or not,” adding, “Philosophically, I don’t believe that somebody needs to — somebody who’s a comedian — needs to apologize for a joke.”
Still, he said, “So this is hard for me, but this is for Kelly Ripa,” calling her “incredibly supportive.” Then he humorously said, “Not only do I want to say I’m sorry to Kelly, but, and this is the hardest part — you’re right. You’re absolutely right,” adding, “After a lot of thought and self-reflection, I look great for my age, I really do. I really, I look fantastic.”
In the end, Howie Mandel was more than just apologizing; he was agreeing with Kelly Ripa that “you look great” can stand on its own.
Originally reported by Ishika Mishra on Reality Tea.
