Shutterstock (2)
Howie Mandel Slams Tom Sandoval Podcast Backlash: ‘I Don’t Need To Do Homework’
Clapping back. After Andy Cohen and numerous Vanderpump Rules fans slammed Howie Mandel for not appearing to know anything about the show while interviewing Tom Sandoval, the famed comedian has weighed in on the criticism. “I’m so beside myself. Listen, I don’t watch … and I made this clear. I don’t watch Vanderpump Rules,” the America’s Got Talent judge told Extra‘s Billy Bush on Wednesday, April 12.
Howie, 67, said he had a vague awareness of the Bravo hit and had heard about “Scandoval.” He wanted to get a piece of the action, as it was Tom’s first interview since his cheating scandal with Raquel Leviss broke that ended his nine-year relationship with Ariana Madix.
“I know what it is. I met Tom at a wedding. He’s a friend of a friend. I saw this Scandoval thing going into all this normal news cycle … and it was big!” Howie explained about Tom’s Tuesday, April 11, appearance on his “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast. Andy claimed Tom’s drummer’s wife is the producer of the podcast, and as a result, “I think he went on because for sure he thought it was a friendly environment.”
The Watch What Happens Live host said on his Wednesday, April 12, episode of Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen Live, “I’m surprised he [Tom] gave an interview to someone who doesn’t seem to be familiar with the show or watched the show on any level,” and accused Howie of not doing any homework to catch up on Vanderpump Rules‘ season 10 or familiarize himself with its cast members.
“I don’t need to do homework,” Howie responded. “I know who he is. I wasn’t gonna weaponize his information and kind of, you know, challenge him on each thing. Those people that watch Bravo, you could challenge any piece of information you get from my podcast, but it’s just amazing how it has blown up everywhere.”
“I also said to Tom, ‘If you come in, just tell your side. I’m not gonna judge it. I’m not gonna argue with you. I’m not gonna call you out.’ It’s not a deposition, it’s a podcast, right?” the comedian revealed.
That seemed to prove Andy’s supposition correct, when he said earlier in the day of Howie, “He’s like, ‘I don’t understand why this is a big deal,’ but, you know, maybe that’s what Tom felt he needed from an interview so that he could just be completely unchallenged.”
Howie once again showed sympathy for Tom, as during his podcast the former Deal or No Deal host said, “I don’t understand the hatred and the vitriol,” towards the club owner.
“I think my interaction with Tom Sandoval is he’s a very sweet guy who is going through a real rough time right now … I probably feel just as bad for the girl he cheated on, the girl he cheated with,” Howie explained in his Extra interview.
