Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ Backhanded Compliment to Howie Mandel Inspires Him to Clap Back

Howie Mandel is clapping back at Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.

The America’s Got Talent judge appeared on Live with Kelly and Mark earlier this week, where the hosts brought up his age.

While Ripa said that Mandel being 70 didn’t make sense, Consuelos kept saying he “looked great.” It led Mandel to say, “It doesn’t mean anything.” He continued, “I don’t like that, because that’s a caveat. When you say, because you tell someone you’re 70, and they go, ‘You look great…’”

This then led to a back and forth between the three of them, with Ripa explaining that she’s not saying he looks great for 70, but Mandel isn’t hearing it. Eventually, Mandel decided to just take the backhanded compliment, admitting he was just looking in the mirror and agrees that he’s gorgeous. So while the conversation started out a bit awkward and heated, it all seemed to be in good fun, and Mandel couldn’t help but take the compliment, no matter how it might have sounded.

Even though things started off rough, the exchange inspired Mandel to clap back with his own thoughts on the entire situation and how he feels about being told how he looks “for his age.” Since it didn’t last long, it can be assumed it was all a joke, or was meant to be a joke. But regardless, Mandel knew he should just take the compliment, and seeing how quick he gave in after his explanation truly makes it all the more better.

Mandel turned 70 in November, and he is definitely still looking as good as ever. It helps that his trainer has gotten him into the “most ridiculous workout” he’s ever done in his life, which is swimming, and it’s not a normal workout, as it includes cables. Whatever Mandel is doing, though, seems to be working, and he’s not the only one who thinks he looks good at his age.

On top of keeping a rigorous workout and clapping back at backhanded compliments, Howie Mandel is staying pretty busy. He has been a judge on America’s Got Talent since 2010, and will return to the judges’ panel this summer for Season 21 alongside Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, and Mel B. He also judges Canada’s Got Talent, which aired its fifth season last year. Mandel is set to host a new version of The Price is Right in Canada, which kicked off filming late last year.