Howie Mandel Claims This Season of ‘America’s Got Talent’ Is Best One Yet

You’ve also been candid about your struggles with anxiety and depression. How do you stay grounded?

It’s a constant struggle. Every waking moment is a struggle, but I think that’s true for everyone. Life is a struggle, whether you’ve been diagnosed with depression or not. Whether you’re dealing with mental or physical health, the loss of a loved one, the pressure of work, the loss of work, the amount of responsibility, children, loneliness — life can be tough. We all need coping skills, and I learned later in life that those aren’t something we all learn. [When I was growing up], there was a stigma involved with not being OK, and it took me a while to realize life isn’t always OK for everyone. Every part of life is an adjustment. So how do we adjust and cope? Maybe you exercise more or do breathing exercises or find a hobby you enjoy. It’s important to find something that makes you as comfortable, happy and productive as possible.

What advice would you give to others about managing depression?

When you have a mental health issue, it’s very confining in the sense that it’s happening in your head, and it can be hard to talk about. You also believe nobody else understands your feelings, and it can seem easier to curl up in the fetal position and stay in your room. I will tell you there is a light at the end of all these tunnels and a lot of people do understand what you’re going through. I’ve learned just by virtue of being human that we all go through depression. Don’t ever give up, [because the first therapist you see or the initial medication you take may not be the right fit]. I’ve had to change dosages and even change doctors.

Do you still enjoy running?

Yes, but I don’t run for as long as I did in the past, and part of that is because I’m busier now than I’ve ever been with touring, my podcast, filming America’s Got Talent, Canada’s Got Talent and producing Deal or No Deal Island. I try to run at least 3 miles a day now. It’s my time to relax, and it’s a form of meditation for me. When I’m running, I can hear my heartbeat and steps, and it’s a good escape.

You and your wife, Terry, have been married for more than 40 years. What’s your secret?

Well, Terry would probably tell you it’s because I’m so busy and not around. Terry is incredibly patient. I’m the hard one. I feel like the lucky one to have her as my partner. She’s smart and funny and successful and a great mother and a great human. She’s also incredibly patient, because I’m a handful, and I can tell you this firsthand, because I’m with myself every waking moment.

How did your Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast with your daughter come about? And how do you choose the different topics and guests?

My daughter Jackelyn [Shultz] and I were communicating via telephone throughout the pandemic. We would spend hours on the phone, not only talking but also doing prank calls. I’d tell my daughter a story about a celebrity friend, and say, “You’re not gonna believe they did this. I’m gonna call him right now with you on the phone, and you’re gonna hear how they did this.” It became a daily ritual, and one day my wife says, “You two do this every day. You’re calling people and doing prank calls. What’s this for?” We were just having fun, but my wife suggested we record our conversations, and that turned into the beginning of a fun podcast. We talk about whatever interests us. This week, we spoke to a new young comic I met in Hawaii and a hospice nurse.

What do you like to do on your days off from work?

I don’t like to have days off from work, so I’m always doing something. I’ll drop in on a comedy club, or write, or record a TikTok or Instagram story. Comedy is my hobby and my love — everything I’ve ever gotten in trouble for over the years is what I get paid to do.

How often do you get to see your three grandchildren?

Any waking moment I can. I see my grandkids almost every day. The third one [4-month-old granddaughter Noa, born to Mandel’s daughter Riley Ehrlich] is harder because she lives a little farther [away], so I see her a couple of times a week. But the other ones live really close to me. [Jackelyn has two children, Abbey, 9, and Axel, 8.] And I see them and they’re at my house or I go to their plays and things like that.

What lessons do you hope to pass on to your grandkids?

They’re growing up in a much harder world than I did. And as far as their social media, there is pressure to be like something you see, to have more than what they have, or to have something better than what somebody else has. I try to tell them that all that is fake and not real. And what they’re doing is amazing. There’s a reason it’s called “self-esteem,” because that esteem has to come from yourself and not from anybody else. So you give them their own self-worth. You make them feel good about themselves and about what they’re doing.

Do you have any career goals you’d still like to accomplish?

I don’t plan. If it presents itself in front of me, I’ve always said yes. I don’t look for something and then try to achieve that. I take each day as it comes. So right now, I’m really content for the most part with what I’m doing and how I’m doing it. You know, I just want to just continue working, and for tomorrow to be as good as today.