Howie Mandel apologizes to Kelly Ripa after awkward on-air moment, says she’s ‘absolutely right’

Howie Mandel has publicly apologized to Kelly Ripa after a tense on-air exchange during a recent interview. In the awkward exchange, Mandel refused to accept a compliment from Ripa about his appearance. Mandel has now shared an apology on social media. On a recent episode of ‘Live with Kelly and Mark,’ Mandel insisted that telling someone his age that they “look great” doesn’t “mean anything,” as it comes with the “caveat” that they merely look good for their age.Mandel, 70, made the apology on Instagram, saying it was the first time he had ever apologized for a joke in his “50 years in the business.” Mandel began his video saying he’s been “debating for 48 hours” whether to make the post or not. He continues, “and I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, philosophically. I don't believe that somebody … who's a comedian needs to apologize for a joke. It is a joke. It is meant as a joke, and it's not meant to offend … In all my years, 50 years in the business, I haven't ever publicly kind of apologized for [a joke]. It’s hard for me,” he continued.Mandel started his apology by noting that “this is for Kelly Ripa, who, in the past, has been incredibly supportive.” He went on, “And I don't know how to say this, but 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."“But after a lot of thought and self-reflection, I do look great for my age! I really do … I look fantastic, and I just have to embrace the fact that I look this good,” the comedian said with a smile.On the other hand, Ripa, 55, attempted to clarify her comments during the show, insisting that she and her husband and co-host, Mark Consuelos, 54, genuinely only meant to compliment the comedian.