Howie Mandel is having second thoughts about his recent apology to Kelly Ripa. Less than a week after saying sorry for an awkward on-air exchange during Live With Kelly and Mark, the America's Got Talent judge revealed he actually regrets issuing the mea culpa.
Speaking on the March 31 episode of the Hot Mics With Billy Bush podcast, Mandel explained his sudden change of heart regarding the situation.
"If somebody is offended, if somebody feels that I did wrong, then I apologize," Mandel said. "I don’t believe in apologizing, but as I said in that post—which, I kind of regret making the post."
When host Billy Bush pressed the comedian on why he felt remorse over extending an olive branch, Mandel's answer was straightforward: "I don’t think you should apologize for a joke."
The drama initially sparked on March 24, when Mandel appeared as a guest on Ripa's daytime talk show. During the interview, Ripa complimented the comedian, stating it "doesn’t make any sense" how gracefully he is aging as he approaches 70. However, Mandel bristled at the praise, telling Ripa and her co-host husband, Mark Consuelos, "That doesn’t mean anything. No, no, no. I don’t like that because that’s a caveat."
Following public scrutiny over his defensive reaction, Mandel posted an apology video to Instagram on March 29. He clarified that his comments were entirely comedic and never intended to offend Ripa, whom he praised as an incredibly supportive, longtime friend.
Despite his efforts to smooth things over, Mandel remains frustrated by the ongoing media attention, noting that it was simply a bit that missed the mark.
"Comedians always say, 'If you can make one person laugh, you’re doing the job,'" he told Bush. "But apparently that’s not enough. I’m reading and there’s no stopping it and I don’t understand. I tried to stop it. I tried to apologize."
The viral moment has taken a minor toll on the comedian, who admitted the relentless focus on the television clip has made him increasingly self-conscious about his appearance.
"I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t know when this will end," Mandel lamented. "And I hope it ends soon because I didn’t mean to cause any disruption. I didn’t mean to embarrass anybody."
Still, Mandel managed to find a silver lining in the uncomfortable situation, doubling down on the initial compliment that started the entire saga.
"People are saying it wherever I go now, I do think I look good," he joked to Bush. "I don’t even think the caveat is for 70—I just think I look good."