Infamous for saying “don’t touch me!” a lot.On the stage of The Voice in September 2023, Howie Mandel stunned everyone by giving Reba McEntire a close embrace.
Despite having a crippling fear of germs, the comic caved in to his excitement and was unable to resist the country music star’s allure.
Mandel appears vivacious and content when he is in the spotlight, but when he is not, he confesses that he is a “scared” man who would rather live “in the fetal position.”
Additionally, he just made a startling admission about how he controls the OCD that drives him to “absolute hell.”To find out more, continue reading!
Many people’s inner germaphobe was let loose by the nightmare of the global epidemic, which made them more aware of the risks of contamination.
Many people only experience this phobia for a few years, but for others, the dread of germs is crippling and never goes away.
Howie Mandel, who battled severe anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) since he was a child, says, “There isn’t a waking moment of my life when ‘we could die’ doesn’t come into my psyche.” The 68-year-old TV personality says the pandemic was particularly upsetting in an interview with People, saying, “But the solace I would get would be the fact that everybody around me was okay.” It’s beneficial to cling to it. But everything went wrong in the globe [during the pandemic]. And that was pure hell.
OCD is characterized by a “pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears known as obsessions,” according to the Mayo Clinic. These obsessions cause you to engage in compulsions, which are recurrent activities. These compulsions and obsessions interfere with day-to-day functioning and lead to significant suffering.
The comedian, who was born in Canada, claims, “I’m living in a nightmare.” I make an effort to center myself. Mandel said of his wife Terry (who he married in 1980) and their three children, Alex, Riley, and Jackie, “I have a beautiful family.” “I enjoy what I do.” I can, however, occasionally sink into a deep depression from which I am unable to recover.
The greatest medicine is laughter.
Mandel admits that although every day is difficult, his humor gets him through it. Mandel got his big break in 1982 on the medical drama St. Elsewhere.
“I use humor as a coping mechanism. I’m crying if I’m not laughing. Furthermore, I have yet to be so forthright about how gloomy and unsightly things actually get.
Mandel continues, “I’m most comfortable onstage,” adding that he utilizes comedy to fend off the perilous pull of OCD. Additionally, I turn inside when I have nothing to do, which is bad.
Mandel constantly has something to do, including hosting many shows and serving as a judge on the America’s Got Talent (AGT) franchise, and he brings his unmatched sense of humor to every endeavor.
“Amazingly medicated”
He openly discussed his mental health concerns with Kelly Clarkson during a 2022 interview on her talk show.
“I have OCD and I’m neurotic.People believe that I’m having fun since I’m out and about.I’m afraid. He said to the host, “I prefer to go home and just live in the fetal position.”
“It’s so funny to me, because every time I’m around you, even seeing you out of work…you’re so the opposite of what I would think,” Clarkson said, taking aback by Mandel’s secretive alter ego.
Mandel said, “I know, I’m such a joy, I’m a light, I’m an energy, and I’m stunning.” “…To tell the truth, I take a lot of medications.
Giving Reba a hug
His excitement upon seeing Reba McEntire on the Voice stage may have been stoked by that medicine.
“We’re right next door shooting the AGT finale,” Mandel remarked, leaping from the audience and yelling her name as he went over to the country music expert, who was a panelist on the show. Are you going to sign my shirt?
Mandel startled onlookers by giving McEntire a close embrace after she signed his “I [heart] Reba” shirt.Carson Daly, the show’s host, remarked of the man who usually avoids physical contact, “You don’t see that every day.”
“People see inconsistencies, especially in the media,” Mandel admits, acknowledging his perplexing conduct. “He shook someone’s hand,” or “Oh, he hugged someone.” I am able to shake your hand. However, I would assume that I did not sufficiently wash it. And I would spend hours washing my hands back and forth in a loop.
“I understand the funny in that,” he adds, expressing his commitment to continuing the discussion on mental health. However, that does not negate the fact that it is extremely painful. Furthermore, I have no desire to defend my mental well-being. All I want to do is keep it up.
Mandel contracted minor Covid in 2022 as a result of being “vaxxed” and “boosted,” serving as a reminder that being afraid of infection is insufficient to protect you.
