Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel’s playful banter on ‘America’s Got Talent’ once took a turn for the dramatic. Vergara stormed off the stage in 2023 after yet another joke from Mandel about her single status. While the audience erupted in laughter, it was clear that Vergara had reached her limit. During a special segment, Vergara participated in a lie detector test while sitting on a throne made of giant tater tots—part of a sponsorship deal with Sonic. Judges took turns asking her fun, sometimes awkward questions, including if she preferred ‘America’s Got Talent’ over ‘Modern Family’ and if Simon Cowell was really a “sweet little puppy dog.”

However, the mood shifted when it was Mandel’s turn. The comedian, known for his quick wit, decided to steer the conversation toward Vergara’s love life. He asked, “Do you see anybody in the audience tonight that you’re interested in?” The audience went crazy on the question but Vergara immediately unhooked the lie detector cuff and walked back to the judge’s table, exclaiming, “That’s it!” as reported by OK Magazine. Host Terry Crews humorously added, “I think she’s done.” This isn’t the first time Mandel has poked fun at Vergara’s split from Joe Manganiello.
He joked to a contestant, “If you’re looking for eligible bachelors, you should’ve talked to Sofía because she’s in the market right now.” Many fans felt the comment was insensitive, given that her divorce had only been announced back then. Despite the backlash, Mandel later defended his remarks in an interview. Mandel shared, “People were online saying, ‘Too soon.’ I think as soon as you’re available, it’s never too soon. She’s fresh, people. People thought that was mean and insensitive. If you watched Sofía, she screamed after she came over to me and thought it was funny. She said, ‘Yes,’ so she’s got a great sense of humor and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt a fellow—a friend first, and a fellow co-worker.”

As per Entertainment Weekly, he went on to praise Vergara, calling her a “brilliant person” adding, “I think everybody watching who is available believes they’re the perfect match for Sofía. I don’t think, Sofía, to be honest… she doesn’t need my help. She really doesn’t. I believe that she’ll be fending them off. I mean, she is a great friend, a brilliant person, businessperson, a powerhouse, an amazing sense of humor. She checks every box, so whoever ends up with Sofía is going to be really, really lucky.”

There has always been talk about Mandel’s jokes and how they are perceived. On a Reddit thread, users were speculating on the fact whether Mandel is actually funny or not. Initiating the thread, on Reddit user wrote, “I assume he had to be since’s he’s gotten a ton of really good opportunities as a comedian, but I tried watching his new podcast and it just seems to involve him trying too hard with zero instincts.” Other users quickly hopped on the thread sharing their opinions. One user wrote, “As a Gen Xer, we loved him in the 80’s, but it doesn’t hold up.” In agreement, another user chimed in, “I watched a lot of standup growing up in the 80s and early 90s and never found him funny.”