Howie Mandel and Andy Cohen have come to a resolution. The former host of “Deal or No Deal” settled his differences with Andy Cohen on Thursday during an episode of SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live.” This reconciliation followed an incident last year when Cohen, the Bravo executive, referred to Mandel as a “jackhole.”
The disparaging remark was prompted by Mandel’s podcast interview with Tom Sandoval in April 2023, addressing Sandoval’s affair with “Vanderpump Rules” co-star Raquel Leviss.
At the time of the insult, Cohen stated on “Watch What Happens Live,” “Tonight’s jackhole goes to the fact that Howie Mandel apparently didn’t know what he was getting himself into with his interview of Tom Sandoval today.”
Howie Mandel Confronts Andy Cohen Over ‘Jackhole’ Label Following Tom Sandoval Interview (Credits: PEOPLE)
During their recent conversation on Thursday, Mandel, 68, confessed to Cohen that he had not watched “Vanderpump Rules” before interviewing Sandoval, 40. Mandel questioned why he was labeled a “jackhole,” to which Cohen reconsidered and acknowledged that Mandel may not deserve the title after all.
Cohen even found humor in the situation, mentioning that it ended up working well for him personally. He joked, “It kind of saved the grilling for me later at the reunion, so it actually, as it turns out, maybe I should give you the mazel instead because we do a jackhole and a mazel.”
Mandel, who had received criticism for giving Sandoval a platform to discuss his affair, defended his decision, likening it to having a deposition and then watching the courtroom drama unfold.
Despite the initial tension, Mandel previously interpreted the “jackhole” label as a positive, stating on “The Viall Files” podcast in May 2023, “I was a jackhole, I’m a jackhole on ‘Watch What Happens’ – Andy Cohen said I’m a jackhole, [and] I think that’s positive.”
Additionally, Cohen revealed that the two hosts exchanged jokes about the situation in their direct messages, with Mandel playfully acknowledging, “You’re making amazing TV. I was honored to be your jackhole.”
Meanwhile, the controversy involving Sandoval’s affair with Leviss in March 2023, which prompted the initial podcast interview and subsequent feud, was revisited during the recent discussion. Sandoval apologized for cheating on his then-girlfriend, Ariana Madix, who later sought mental health support. Madix has since moved on with fitness trainer Daniel Wai.
