Howie Mandel explains why some age compliments can sting
Howie Mandel explains why the compliment “you look great for your age” misses the mark on “Live with Kelly and Mark.”
Howie Mandel is defusing any tension between himself and Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos after a headline-making back-and-forth over a backhanded compliment.
The “America’s Got Talent” judge and comedian spoke out about his “Live with Kelly and Mark” appearance the prior week in a March 28 Instagram video. In the March 23 episode, Ripa said Mandel being 70 years old “doesn’t make any sense,” with her husband noting, “You look great.”
“I’ve been debating for 48 hours whether to post or not, and I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing philosophically. I don’t believe that somebody who’s a comedian needs to apologize for a joke,” Mandel began the video. “It is a joke. It is meant as a joke, and it’s not meant to offend. You could not like it.”
“In my 50 years in the business, I haven’t ever publicly kind of apologized so this is hard for me. But this is for Kelly Ripa, who in the past has been incredibly supportive,” he continued. “Not only have I been a guest on her show, I’ve cohosted with her and known her for years. When I go out there, I just try to be entertaining and funny, and sometimes as a comedian, things don’t land the way you mean them to land.”
Mandel recently appeared on the daytime talk show in 2024 and 2025. As he continued speaking, his apology sounded increasingly like the video was actually poking fun at the incident.
“I don’t know how to say this, but 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, and I’m sorry I didn’t see it that way,” he said. “But 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.”
When he was on “Live with Kelly and Mark,” Mandel appeared to take umbrage with Ripa and Consuelos’ compliments. “I look great? That doesn’t mean anything to me,” Mandel said. “I don’t like that because that’s a caveat. Because when you tell somebody you’re 70, they go, ‘You look great [for your age].'”
He added: “It’s like saying, ‘You’re smart for a stupid person.’ ‘Oh, you look smart; you seem smart.’ I don’t look good.”
The hosts insisted that Mandel looks “great” regardless of his age, a point that he eventually conceded.
“Thank you. … Honestly, now, I’ll be serious for a minute: I’m gorgeous. I am,” Mandel said, to which Ripa replied, “You’re a thing of beauty.”
Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY