Howie Mandel has been a judge on America’s Got Talent since 2010, so it’s safe to say that he can recognize talent when he sees it, across a wide variety of art forms. With Season 21 ramping up on the 2026 TV schedule, seemingly dangerous acts go up against singers, magicians, and comedians hoping to get the audience (and judges) laughing. And the occasional contortionist or cute animal also delivers some memorable tricks.
Joined by fellow judges Spice Girl Mel B, American Idol alum Simon Cowell, and actress Sofia Vergara, Mandel has to weigh in and help narrow down the hopefuls to before the reality competition’s live shows. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the comedian admits that he’s the one who goes easiest on his fellow laugh-seekers. He explained:
Absolutely. And easier on comedians than the actual audience. Being a comedian, I understand it’s really hard on our show when you see somebody come out and fly two stories in the air and light themselves on fire and then things appear. And then next, you have Bob walk out and he tells a story about raising his kid.
Among the 44 acts that were selected for the live shows that viewers then vote on this season, two comedians made it through. With AGT, the contestants are all judged against each other, regardless of what their talent is. But they can rest assured that the funnyman and podcast host is on their side and rooting for them because he knows what it’s like.
Latest Videos FromCinemablend
As someone who, according to his own website, continues to perform as many as 200 stand-up comedy shows each year throughout the U.S. and Canada, Howie Mandel might be at the top of the laugh game now. But he’s likely had an off night or two over the course of his career, and that can really stick with you. So it’s easy to understand why he’d feel a connection with the comedians that try their luck on AGT just looking for a chance, especially when they have to compete against acts with far flashier moments. He said:
You go, ‘Well, that guy flew in the air and lit himself in fire. This guy’s just talking.’ I don’t think people understand what goes into, number one, coming up with material, presenting that, and the need to elicit laughs from people who don’t know you. And it’s so much easier to watch somebody do a feat or sing a song and then applaud afterwards because you know it’s done than to elicit laughter from a huge audience, laughter every 30 seconds, because you become very aware of when people are not responding, that it’s not going well.
I can openly admit that I would never try my hand at stand-up comedy. The prospect of walking onto a stage by myself and facing an audience full of people that I have to find a way to extract laughs from feels like being trapped in my own personal horror movie. What if nothing I say works, the room stays silent enough to hear a pin drop, and I absolutely crash and burn? No thank you. So I absolutely understand why someone like the Emmy-nominated host of Deal or No Deal is sympathetic to that and ready to support those competitors.
After Simon Cowell nearly ruined an AGT magic trick, an unprecedented callback twist and what’s been referred to as “the craziest Golden Buzzer we’ve ever had” having already occurred, it’s no telling who might win this season. It’s not rare that ultimately the AGT champion is one of the performers who received a Golden Buzzer, and comedians have been included as recipients of that honor. Until the winner is crowned, you can catch the series on weekly on NBC or stream episodes with a Peacock subscription.
