Howie Mandel's Age Joke Backfires, Apology Ensues

0:00It's April 2nd. Entertainment and celebrity news today starts now, AI powered in Spotlight Ready. I'm Cory with the story. Howie Mandales stirred up some buzz after an awkward exchange on Live with Kelly and Mark Back on March 23rd. The comedian, Fresh Off Turning 70, got defensive when Kelly Rippa joked about his age not making sense, and her husband Mark Consuelos said he. Looked great. Mondale fire back the compliments like that always come with a caveat, comparing it to saying someone smart for a dummy. A clip of the tense back and forth when viral fast, prompting Mandale to post an apology on Instagram on March 28th. He admitted debating it for 48 hours, but stood firm philosophically. Comedians shouldn't apologize for jokes meant to land light, even if they flop. Fans and folks online had mixed takes with some calling it cringey and others defending Mandale's raw honesty. As longtime executive producer Michael Gellman even trolled back in the comments, agreeing

1:01Mandale looks great for his age during these divided times. Mandale's no stranger to the show, with nearly 50 guest spots since 1995, including filling in as guest host after Regis Filben. Left in 2011, fast forward to March 31st on the hot mics with Billy Bush podcast, and Mandale kind of walked it back. If anyone's offended, he apologizes. While he regrets the post and still believes jokes don't need sars, classic comedian code in the spotlight.