Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos sparked an unexpected debate on aging when Howie Mandel stopped by Live with Kelly and Mark this week.
The Emmy winning hosts praised Mandel’s youthful appearance, marveling that the comedian and America’s Got Talent judge had turned 70 in November.
But Mandel wasn’t entirely flattered.
When Consuelos told Mandel he “look[ed] great,” the comic pushed back.
“I don’t like that because that’s a caveat. Because when you tell somebody you’re 70, they go, ‘You look great [for your age].’ It’s like saying, ‘You’re smart for a stupid person.’”
Ripa and Consuelos insisted their compliment was unconditional.
Mandel eventually conceded with a laugh, “Honestly, now, I’ll be serious for a minute: I’m gorgeous. I am.”
Ripa agreed, calling him “a thing of beauty.”
The comedian also revealed his unusual fitness routine: swimming with cables attached to his ankles and “frying pan” paddles.
“I swim for an hour and go nowhere. I [get] so lost in it. It’s really good,” he joked.
Ripa previously reflected on her own aging journey, noting she’s scaling back on physical stunts she once embraced on air.
“I’m older and wiser and more afraid of breaking a hip,” she said. “Now, I’d probably tap out.”
