Howie Mandel Questions Apology to Kelly Ripa

Howie Mandel has admitted he has “kinda” regrets about publicly apologizing to Kelly Ripa after an interview on ‘Live with Kelly and Mark.’ The comedian shared his mixed feelings on the matter during a recent podcast appearance.

The Apology and Its Origins

“If somebody is offended if somebody feels that I did wrong, then I apologize,” Mandel stated on the Tuesday, March 31, episode of the “Hot Mics with Billy Bush” podcast. “I don’t believe in apologizing but, as I said in my post, which I kinda regret making the post, I don’t think you should apologize for a joke.”

The Awkward Exchange on 'Live with Kelly and Mark'

The situation began on March 23 during Mandel’s interview with Ripa, 55, and her husband, Mark Consuelos. Ripa playfully pointed out Mandel’s recent 70th birthday, joking that his age “doesn’t make any sense.”

A Back-and-Forth on Age

When Consuelos commented that Mandel looked “great,” the comedian responded, “I look great. That doesn’t mean anything to me.” Mandel explained he dislikes comments about his age, as they often feel like “a caveat.”

Ripa attempted to clarify her remark, but Mandel interrupted, stating, “It’s like saying you’re smart for a stupid person. ‘Oh, you look smart! You seem smart!’ I don’t look good.” He later added, “Well, actually, before we go out, there’s, like, a mirror back there… Honestly, now, I’ll be serious for a minute: I’m gorgeous. I am. I am.”

Public Apology and Reaction

A clip of the exchange quickly went viral, prompting Mandel to issue a public apology on Instagram on Saturday, March 28. “I have been debating for 48 hours whether I should make this post or not, and I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing,” he wrote. “Philosophically, I don’t believe that somebody who’s a comedian needs to apologize for a joke.”

Mandel continued, “It is a joke, it is meant as a joke, and it’s not meant to offend.” He also noted, “You can not like it and, in all my years in the business, I haven’t ever publicly apologized for [a joke].”

Producer's Response

Michael Gelman, a longtime executive producer of ‘Live With Kelly and Mark,’ playfully responded to Mandel’s Instagram post, writing, “During these divided times, one thing we can all agree upon is that you do look great … for your age.”

Longtime Relationship with the Show

Mandel has appeared on ‘Live With Kelly and Mark’ and its previous iterations nearly 50 times since 1995. He frequently guest hosted the show alongside Ripa following the departure of Regis Philbin in November 2011.