{"id":559569,"date":"2026-04-02T04:37:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T04:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/559569\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T04:37:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T04:37:08","slug":"howie-mandel-regrets-apologizing-to-kelly-ripa-for-on-air-exchange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/559569\/","title":{"rendered":"Howie Mandel regrets apologizing to Kelly Ripa for on-air exchange"},"content":{"rendered":"

Howie Mandel says he now regrets apologizing to Kelly Ripa after their awkward on-air exchange<\/a> last week. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe in apologizing<\/a> but as I said in that post, which I kind of regret making, obviously I told a joke that didn\u2019t land well,\u201d Mandel said of the encounter, during which he pushed back after Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos commented on his appearance. <\/p>\n

\u201cComedians always say, \u2018If you can make one person laugh, you\u2019re doing the job, but apparently that\u2019s not enough. It\u2019s not enough,\u201d he said during an interview on Tuesday\u2019s\u00a0\u201cHot Mics with Billy Bush<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n

He added, \u201cSo you liked my joke. I\u2019m reading and there\u2019s no stopping it and I don\u2019t understand and I tried to stop it. I tried to apologize. I agreed with people. I do.\u201d <\/p>\n

Howie Mandel (above in September 2025) admitted during a new interview that he regrets apologizing for a tense on-air moment on \u201cLive With Kelly and Mark.\u201d Getty Images<\/p>\n

The \u201cAmerica\u2019s Got Talent\u201d judge (above in September) said comedians shouldn\u2019t apologize for their jokes. Variety via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Mandel said he doesn\u2019t \u201cknow what\u2019s going on\u201d or \u201cwhen this will end,\u201d referring to the backlash surrounding the intense exchange. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I hope it ends soon because I didn\u2019t mean to cause any disruption. I didn\u2019t mean to embarrass anybody,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

On Wednesday\u2019s episode of Carrie Berk\u2019s\u00a0\u201cFire Chats: The Mindfire Pod,\u201d<\/a> Mandel said he didn\u2019t \u201cknow how [the apology was] received,\u201d adding that \u201cit doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d <\/p>\n

Reps for Ripa and Consuelos did not immediately return Page Six\u2019s requests for comment on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n

The drama started after Mandel seemingly had a negative reaction on last Monday\u2019s \u201cLive with Kelly and Mark,\u201d as the pair congratulated the \u201cAmerica\u2019s Got Talent\u201d judge on his milestone 70th birthday. <\/p>\n

Ripa and Consuelos seemingly raised Mandel\u2019s ire after complimenting him on his appearance after turning 70 last week. They\u2019re seen above during the exchange. YouTube\/LiveKellyandMark<\/p>\n

\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean anything to me,\u201d Mandel shot back. YouTube\/LiveKellyandMark<\/p>\n

The duo complimented the actor on his appearance, to which he replied, \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean anything to me.\u201d The longtime talk show host, 55, attempted to assure the comedian that they weren\u2019t \u201csaying you look great for 70.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re saying you look great and I don\u2019t believe you\u2019re 70,\u201d Ripa clarified. <\/p>\n

Mandel replied, \u201cNo, no \u2014 it\u2019s like saying you\u2019re smart for a stupid person. \u2018Oh, you seem smart, you seem smart,\u2019 you see, no, I don\u2019t look good,\u201d as the audience erupted in laughter.<\/p>\n

Consuelos, 55, said Mandel does indeed \u201clook good,\u201d with Mandel jokingly agreeing that he\u2019s \u201cgorgeous.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an Instagram video<\/a>\u00a0on Sunday, Mandel asserted that comedians shouldn\u2019t have to apologize for their jokes \u2014 but for Ripa, he made an exception. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re saying you look great and I don\u2019t believe you\u2019re 70,\u201d Ripa clarified. YouTube\/LiveKellyandMark<\/p>\n

Mandel finally agreed he\u2019s \u201cgorgeous.\u201d YouTube\/LiveKellyandMark<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt is a joke. It is meant as a joke, and it\u2019s not meant to offend,\u201d he said in the beachside video, noting that it had been \u201chard\u201d since he\u2019s never apologized in his 50-year career in comedy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this is for Kelly Ripa, who in the past has been incredibly supportive,\u201d he explained. \u201cNot only have I been a guest on her show, but I have co-hosted with her and I\u2019ve known her for years.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also said his jokes aren\u2019t always received well. \u201cWhen I go out there I just try to be entertaining and funny, and sometimes as a comedian things don\u2019t land the way you mean them to land,\u201d he divulged.<\/p>\n

The comedian took to Instagram on Sunday to issue an apology to Ripa, as seen above. howiemandel\/Instagram<\/p>\n

He noted that Ripa \u201cin the past has been incredibly supportive,\u201d so he made an exception for her by apologizing. She\u2019s seen here with Consuelos in October. Disney<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only do I want to say I\u2019m sorry to Kelly \u2014 and this is the hardest part \u2014 you\u2019re right,\u201d he went on. \u201cYou\u2019re absolutely right, and I\u2019m sorry I didn\u2019t see it that way.\u201d <\/p>\n

Mandel concluded the video by quipping, \u201cAnd after a lot of thought and self-reflection, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLive With Kelly and Mark\u201d executive producer Michael Gelman then poked fun at the drama<\/a> while commenting on Mandel\u2019s post.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring these divided times, one thing we can all agree upon is that you do look great \u2026 for your age,\u201d\u00a0he quipped.<\/p>\n

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