Over the past couple of weeks, the longest-serving judge in America’s Got Talent, Howie Mandel, has been uncharacteristically absent from the show.
He is a Canadian comedian and television personality known for hosting America’s Got Talent, Canada’s Got Talent, Deal, or No Deal. He has also voiced Gizmo in the 1984 film Gremlin and its 1990 sequel, starred in Walk Like a Man and played Dr. Wayne Fiscus on St. Elsewhere.
Mandel had been performing comedy since 1978, when, on a trip to Los Angeles, he performed a set at The Comedy Store; he became hired as a regular performer.
A producer for the comedy game show, Make Me Laugh, saw Mandel and booked him for several appearances during the show’s run in 1979 and 1980. This string of appearances began Mandel’s history of TV Game show appearances.
Where Is Howie Mandel Right Now On America’s Got Talent?
Howie Mandel made his triumphant return to America’s Got Talent on their July 19 episode.
Before this episode, Mandel had been absent from the show partially on the June 14 and July 19 episodes and absent from the July 12 episode. Host, Terry Crews, told the audience that Mandel was sick and hoped he would get well soon and return.
Crew’s sentiment was also shared by the rest of the hosts, with Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara wishing for Mandel’s speedy recovery. Cowell joked that Vergara had hexed Mandel after the beginning of Vergara’s stint as host; not only did Cowell break his arm, but Klum got sick too, with Vergara feigning innocence.
However, the media reported that Mandel had contracted Covid-19 at the 2022 Kids’ Choice Awards which aired on April 9, 2022. Thankfully, the July 19 episode not only saw Mandel’s return but also was the first season since the 15th season with a packed audience without Covid-19 restrictions.
The audience greeted Mandel with warm applause, with Crews telling him he missed him and Cowell stating that he’s had days of misery without him. Mandel told Crews that he feels 1000 percent better. Mandel came just in time to judge the John Glenn High School Dance team, all wearing bald caps in his honor.
Why Was Howie Mandel Missing From AGT?
Howie Mandel contracted Covid-19 at the 2022 Kids’ Choice Awards when he and the team won the Best Reality Show award and missed parts of AGT.
However, missing the third, seventh, and eighth episodes of AGT was just the tip of the iceberg. Mandel later described that the isolation that followed his Covid quarantine led to physical and mental health struggles.
According to Mandel, he went insane being in quarantine. He’d had the vaccinations and the boosters, so his symptoms weren’t terrible, but the mental toll of being locked in a room for ten days caused him the most distress.
Mandel stated that the experience made him incredibly depressed and neurotic as he didn’t have anything to distract himself from his physical and mental disarray. Unfortunately, the isolation led to Mandel abusing drugs and drinking to get through his isolation.
The comedian stated that his routine would be smoking till he wasn’t conscious and, if that wouldn’t help, then drinking till he wasn’t conscious. A known sufferer of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Mysophobic, Mandel shared his fears of ending up like Howard Hughes, who also shared his predilection.
Howie Mandel’s Return To America’s Got Talent
Following Mandel’s return to America’s Got Talent, Mandel seems happier.
Social media erupted with videos and pictures of Mandel’s return as the fans shared Terry and the other hosts’ joy at Mandel’s return. As the longest-serving judge on America’s Got Talent, Mandel is often seen as the face of the show alongside Simon Cowell.
Mandel’s return is sure to be made into many gifs and reaction memes on the internet, but the comedian’s sheer joy to be back is lovely.