Howie Mandel says he now regrets apologizing to Kelly Ripa after their awkward on-air exchange last week.
“I don’t believe in apologizing but as I said in that post, which I kind of regret making, obviously I told a joke that didn’t land well,” Mandel said of the encounter, during which he pushed back after Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos commented on his appearance.
“Comedians always say, ‘If you can make one person laugh, you’re doing the job, but apparently that’s not enough. It’s not enough,” he said during an interview on Tuesday’s “Hot Mics with Billy Bush.”
He added, “So you liked my joke. I’m reading and there’s no stopping it and I don’t understand and I tried to stop it. I tried to apologize. I agreed with people. I do.”
Mandel said he doesn’t “know what’s going on” or “when this will end,” referring to the backlash surrounding the intense exchange.
“And I hope it ends soon because I didn’t mean to cause any disruption. I didn’t mean to embarrass anybody,” he said.
On Wednesday’s episode of Carrie Berk’s “Fire Chats: The Mindfire Pod,” Mandel said he didn’t “know how [the apology was] received,” adding that “it doesn’t matter.”
Reps for Ripa and Consuelos did not immediately return Page Six’s requests for comment on Wednesday evening.
The drama started after Mandel seemingly had a negative reaction on last Monday’s “Live with Kelly and Mark,” as the pair congratulated the “America’s Got Talent” judge on his milestone 70th birthday.
The duo complimented the actor on his appearance, to which he replied, “That doesn’t mean anything to me.” The longtime talk show host, 55, attempted to assure the comedian that they weren’t “saying you look great for 70.”
“We’re saying you look great and I don’t believe you’re 70,” Ripa clarified.
Mandel replied, “No, no — it’s like saying you’re smart for a stupid person. ‘Oh, you seem smart, you seem smart,’ you see, no, I don’t look good,” as the audience erupted in laughter.
Consuelos, 55, said Mandel does indeed “look good,” with Mandel jokingly agreeing that he’s “gorgeous.”
In an Instagram video on Sunday, Mandel asserted that comedians shouldn’t have to apologize for their jokes — but for Ripa, he made an exception.
“It is a joke. It is meant as a joke, and it’s not meant to offend,” he said in the beachside video, noting that it had been “hard” since he’s never apologized in his 50-year career in comedy.
“But this is for Kelly Ripa, who in the past has been incredibly supportive,” he explained. “Not only have I been a guest on her show, but I have co-hosted with her and I’ve known her for years.”
He also said his jokes aren’t always received well. “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 divulged.
“Not only do I want to say I’m sorry to Kelly — and this is the hardest part — you’re right,” he went on. “You’re absolutely right, and I’m sorry I didn’t see it that way.”
Mandel concluded the video by quipping, “And 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.”
“Live With Kelly and Mark” executive producer Michael Gelman then poked fun at the drama while commenting on Mandel’s post.
“During these divided times, one thing we can all agree upon is that you do look great … for your age,” he quipped.
