Howie Mandel Makes Bulimia Joke And Then Immediately Apologizes On ‘America’s Got Talent’

Howie Mandel made an insensitive comment about eating disorders on Wednesday’s live broadcast of America’s Got Talent.

When contestant Stevie Starr, who is a professional regurgitator (AKA he swallows random objects whole and brings them back up in one piece), was being judged, Mandel praised him in a politically incorrect way. “This would probably come out wrong, but you, sir, make bulimia entertaining,” he said. Milliseconds after the comment, Mandel’s face filled with regret and embarrassment.

Unsurprisingly, Mandel, who has struggled with OCD and other mental disorders himself, issued a public apology immediately after: “I just want to take a second to apologize,” the former Deal or No Deal host said. “I made a comment earlier, it’s live television, I wasn’t thinking. I made light of bulimia, which is a very serious eating disorder and mental health issue. I deal with mental health all the time, and I did something stupid. I should never make light of it. I apologize to anybody that was offended. I’m not perfect, I make mistakes.”

In spite of Mandel’s seemingly sincere apology, the Twittersphere was still not impressed.

#HowieMandel, you are correct – a foolish joke about something as serious as bulimia is never going to end well. https://t.co/YHjJCOrMHy

— Elizabeth Reidenbach (@EReidenbach) August 26, 2015

#HowieMandel made a comment about eating disorders that had fans everywhere disappointed: https://t.co/ck5tHNsohV pic.twitter.com/kqN5Bpbl99

— Life & Style (@Life_and_Style) August 27, 2015