Howie Mandel reacted awkwardly after Kelly Ripa praised his appearance on air.MEGA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
Howie Mandel<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s 70th birthday shoutout on Live with Kelly and Mark<\/em><\/a> was supposed to be lighthearted. Instead, it sparked one of the week\u2019s most awkward \u2014 and oddly entertaining \u2014 celebrity dust-ups.<\/p>\n The comedian\u2019s blunt reaction to a compliment from hosts Kelly Ripa<\/strong><\/a> and Mark Consuelos<\/strong><\/a> quickly went viral, leading to an apology, a walk-back, and a growing back-and-forth that\u2019s kept fans watching.<\/p>\n Mark Consuelos laughed as Howie Mandel rejected the birthday compliment.MEGA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n The moment<\/a> unfolded when Consuelos and Ripa congratulated Mandel on turning 70 and told him he looked great, but that didn\u2019t sit well with the America\u2019s Got Talent<\/em><\/a> judge.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look great,\u201d Consuelos said, prompting Mandel to push back immediately. \u201cI look great? That doesn\u2019t mean anything to me,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n As the hosts clarified they weren\u2019t saying he looked good \u201cfor 70,\u201d Mandel insisted that was exactly what they meant. \u201cIt\u2019s like saying, \u2018You\u2019re smart for a stupid person,\u2019\u201d he added, drawing uneasy laughter from the audience.<\/p>\n Despite the tension, the exchange eventually softened, with Mandel joking, \u201cI\u2019m gorgeous. I am. I am,\u201d while Ripa responded, \u201cYou\u2019re a thing of beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n Howie Mandel later posted a public apology on Instagram.@howiemandel\/INSTAGRAM<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Days later, Mandel took to Instagram<\/a> to issue a rare public apology to Ripa, calling it the first of his 50-year career and admitting, \u201cYou\u2019re right, you\u2019re absolutely right.\u201d<\/p>\n But the apology didn\u2019t stick.<\/p>\n He admitted on a podcast that he regretted apologizing.LiveKellyandMark\/YOUTUBE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Speaking on the podcast \u201cHot Mics with Billy Bush,\u201d Mandel said he now regrets posting it altogether.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe in apologizing, but as I said in that post, which I kind of regret making, obviously, I told a joke that didn\u2019t land well,\u201d he said. Bush pressed Mandel to explain why he regretted it.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I don\u2019t think you should apologize for a joke,” Mandel responded. \u201cAnd I do agree. People are saying it wherever I go now, I do think I look good. I don\u2019t even think the caveat is for 70. I just think I look good.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that he wasn\u2019t sure why he felt compelled to apologize in the first place, saying he doesn\u2019t \u201cknow what\u2019s going on\u201d or \u201cwhen this will end.\u201d<\/p>\n Michael Gelman added another joke in the comments section of Howie Mandel’s apology post.LiveKellyandMark\/YOUTUBE<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n The moment didn\u2019t end there. Live with Kelly and Mark<\/em> executive producer Michael Gelman<\/strong> chimed in with a playful jab, commenting on Mandel\u2019s apology post: \u201cDuring these divided times, one thing we can all agree upon is that you do look great\u2026 for your age.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more at OK!<\/a><\/p>\n Get OK!’s biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now<\/a>.<\/p>\n FOLLOW OK! ON WHATSAPP HERE<\/a>: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, entertainment, and pop culture via our WhatsApp channel<\/a>. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nThe Compliment That Didn\u2019t Land<\/h2>\n
<\/div>
The Apology \u2014 and the Regret<\/h2>\n
<\/div>
<\/div>
The Show Fires Back<\/h2>\n
<\/div>