Howie Mandel has publicly apologised to Kelly Ripa after a tense exchange on her talk show, Live with Kelly and Mark, went viral. The 70-year-old comedian appeared on the programme on 23 March, where Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos complimented his appearance.
During the segment, Consuelos noted Mandel had turned 70, with Ripa adding that it 'doesn’t make any sense'. When Consuelos said Mandel 'looks great', Mandel snapped back: 'I look great? That doesn't mean anything to me! No, no, no, no. I don’t like that, because that’s a caveat.' Ripa clarified they weren't saying he looked great 'for 70', but Mandel insisted they were implying it.
The interview continued without apparent tension, but on 30 March, Mandel posted a video on Instagram explaining he had been joking. He said he struggled with the idea of apologising for a joke, but did so because of Ripa's longstanding support for him. '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,' he said.
Mandel added: '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 then joked that he does look great for his age. Ripa's representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
