Howie Mandel Is Proud To Be The ‘America’s Got Talent’ Judge With The Longest Tenure: “I Love To Be Entertained”

It’s good to be Howie Mandel. One of the busiest men in show business, Mandel just finished a stint as a judge on Canada’s Got Talent, was revealed to be the mysterious Banker on the surprise smash hit Deal Or No Deal Island (of which he is also an executive producer), and is about to embark on his 15th season as a judge on America’s Got Talent. The 19th season of America’s Got Talent premieres tonight (Tuesday, May 28), with a new set of eager performers vying for the ultimate $1 million prize. “This season of America’s Got Talent is funnier, more exciting, weirder than anything I have ever seen,” gushed Mandel. “I was more dismayed, more disgusted, more amazed than I have ever been in any one season of the show.”

Mandel and fellow judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara make up one of the most dynamic panels in reality TV with host Terry Crews to rein them in when the debates get too fierce and funny. “We enjoy each other, but we’re also very different,” mused Mandel as he thought about their success as a team: “We’re just four really authentic people who speak our minds and have a lot of respect and love for each other.” This season panel members will be called on to evaluate a wide array of contestants —including comics, magicians, musicians, dancers, drones, and more—but no doubt they are up to the task!

Mandel admits he loves “to be entertained” and knows it’s a gift to be involved in shows like AGT and Deal Or No Deal Island where life-changing amounts of money are at stake. “I want people to leave in a better place than they were when they arrived,” said Mandel earnestly. “I’m lucky enough to be on the small part of TV where dreams come true.” When asked about Deal Or No Deal Island winner and now-pregnant Jordan Fowler’s historic win—she took home $1.23M, the biggest prize pot in Deal Or No Deal history—Mandel was genuinely moved. That money, Mandel notes, gave Fowler the “opportunity to have a family, a dream that is coming to fruition.” “You can’t write that,” said Mandel simply. “I cannot be happier.”

Mandel stopped by the Page Six studio to chat with DECIDER about the upcoming AGT season, embracing his role as Banker on Deal Or No Deal Island, and why being the Rock Lobster on The Masked Singer was one of the hardest gigs he’s ever had.

DECIDER: You’re a very in-demand guy! What’s it been like pulling double duty on both Canada’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent?

HOWIE MANDEL: Wonderful. The truth of the matter is it seems like I’m doing a lot, but in my business, it’s not a lot. Listen, nobody’s more thrilled than I am to be doing America’s Got Talent, Canada’s Got Talent and whatever else. If you’ve watched the shows and commented on the acts, you’re doing as much as I am. They just gave me a better seat in person up front. A lot of people go to work for eight hours a day. I sit for a couple of hours and watch people sing songs and dance. It’s not a tough thing.

As the judge with the longest tenure on AGT, what keeps you coming back year after year besides the paycheck?

I will continue on AGT until they don’t invite me to the party anymore. I’ve been there 15 seasons and, before that, I was watching it right from the beginning. I love to be entertained, and I don’t even have to understand what I’m looking at. I’m scrolling day and night and watching clips of things that aren’t even in English. I’m fascinated by people showing up and doing stuff. The only difference between what I’ve been hired to do and what I love doing is they make me wear pants and they give me a paycheck. Otherwise, I’d just be sitting at home in my underpants, scrolling and watching the same stuff and judging it for myself.

AGT is now in its 19th season. What can viewers expect from their favorite show this time around?

It sounds like I’m overhyping (which I’m not), but this season is funnier, more exciting, weirder than anything I have ever seen. I laughed harder in season 19. I was more dismayed, more disgusted, more amazed than I have ever been with any one season of the show.

What makes you, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara the best judging panel in the reality TV business?

Well, thank you. I don’t know how to explain what we have, except that what you see is what it is. We are real. We genuinely enjoy each other and socialize outside and after and before the show. Simon spends a good portion of his time overseas, but Heidi, Sofia and I see each other often and have a good time. We come from very different worlds and have very different business acumens, but we respect each other’s opinions. I will love something that somebody else hates. They’ll love something that I hate. And that is okay. We’re just four really authentic people who speak their minds and have a lot of respect and love for each other.

Out of the four of you, who among you is the quickest to hit that golden buzzer?

I don’t know who’s the quickest to hit the golden buzzer, but I would think that I’m the quickest to hit the red buzzer because I have ADHD. If the act’s not happening for me, then I want to move on. The golden buzzer is the most emotional buzzer because you don’t know when you’re going to push it. This feeling of “wow, I’ve never seen this before” just rains over you. This season, we get two golden buzzers. Still, you have to wonder whether to use up half or all of your golden buzzer right now. There might be something even better, more exciting to come.

America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League was a fun shake-up to the AGT format we know and love. Would you be down to do another installment of the spinoff?

Of course. I’m a winner. I won. I’m sorry, I’m not wearing the ring today. I think I have my finger on the pulse of what people like and what they’ll vote for. That’s the only thing I’m willing to put my finger on as a germophobe. I think I know what you like. I do. I think I’m wonderful on the show. I really do.

I agree! Another show you’re very good on is Deal Or No Deal Island.

I’ve been revealed as the Banker.

I would have been very disappointed if you weren’t the Banker.

I got to play a totally different role, which was wonderful. People thought they saw a meaner side of me as the Banker, but I’m a gamesman. I’m competitive, and I wanted to play the best game possible against someone really great. The opportunity could not have gone to a better person than Jordan [Fowler]. I cannot be happier. I want people to—whether they come on to AGT or Deal or No Deal Island or anything that I’m involved with—leave in a better place than they were when they arrived. I’m lucky enough to be on the small part of TV where dreams come true. Jordan walked out with the largest amount of money ever awarded, almost $1.3 million, but more importantly, she left with an opportunity to have a family, a dream that is coming to fruition. You can’t write that. I was so thrilled when I watched it back. I actually got emotional.

Your and Jordan’s banter in that last exchange was riveting television. When you’re speaking as the banker, does that just come naturally or did you have talking points?

No talking points. There’s no script. I just love that game. I love Deal or No Deal, and I am crazy about Deal or No Deal Island. In that moment, I’m playing that game. I am saying what presents itself. First of all, no one knows which case has what, and no one knows, including Jordan, what she’s going to do. All I’m doing is presenting the facts. It’s fascinating to me.

I don’t understand the gamesmanship that Jordan presented because I’ll be honest with you, there is no strategy. There can’t be. It’s a game of luck. You don’t know what’s in the case you choose. You don’t know what’s in the cases you’re going to open. All that matter is the highest remaining amount. But what you do know is that when I make you an offer or a Banker makes you an offer, that’s real. So even the first offer is only$200,000– if somebody says to you, here’s a check for $200,000 for nothing– just take the $200,000 and go home. It’s the chance of winning more that drives certain people. To turn down a tangible cash offer takes a lot of guts.

I couldn’t do this as the host of Deal Or No Deal, but I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to speak up when I knew the contestant really needed the money. Even if the offer was just $20,000, and I knew that the person playing didn’t have health insurance or couldn’t pay the rent or didn’t have a job, I wanted to say every time: “Go home, just take the money and go. It is 20 grand. How do you win 20 grand? What do you have in the bank right now? Take the 20 grand and go home.” When people who really needed the money said, no deal, it was so hard for me to say nothing. As the banker on Deal or No Deal Island, I was finally able to say, “take this, it’s an amazing offer.” Jordan played it right. She went home with the biggest prize money in Deal or No Deal history, but I couldn’t have done it. I promise you I couldn’t have done it. I will always take the first deal.

What was more challenging: channeling your banker vibes for Deal Or No Deal Island or being the Rock Lobster on The Masked Singer?

Rock Lobster on The Masked Singer was really hard. It was really hard because I can’t sing. I can’t dance. I couldn’t breathe in that suit. Those are the three things I needed to do really well on that show. You should be able to sing, you should be able to dance, and you should be able to breathe, not necessarily in that order. I couldn’t do any of those. So that was really challenging. I thought I was going to die. You shouldn’t do shows where you think you’re going to die. As luck would have it, I only did one episode and then I could come out of my shell.

You’ve conquered the reality tv space, the game show space, the comedy space and beyond. What’s the next realm you want to move into?

Marionettes. I want to do something with Marionettes. I love puppetry.