AGT judge Howie Mandel sits on casino floor as fans left shocked over ‘disgusting’ move despite star’s germ fears

AMERICA’S Got Talent judge Howie Mandel shocked fans by sitting on the floor of a casino despite suffering from germophobia.

Howie, 68, joined Stephen Matt Morrow, better known as Vegas Matt, to play Deal or No Deal on the slots machine at a casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Instagram/ howiemandel

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Instagram/ howiemandel

During their round, the former Deal or No Deal host explained the rules of the game, as Vegas Matt tried to find the suitcase with $2,000 in it.

“We’re gonna play a quick game of Deal or No Deal,” Howie told Vegas Matt, before kneeling down to the carpeted floor and sitting on it.

Vegas Matt then picked one of the suitcases displayed on the screen, as Howie encouraged him to find out whether he had struck gold with his choice.

The YouTuber began celebrating enthusiastically after it was revealed he had chosen the winning case.

“It was the seated position that worked,” Vegas Matt said, referring to Howie, who was sitting on the floor.

‘NASTY AS HELL’

The clip left fans confused, as some people pointed out Howie’s crippling fear of germs, stemming from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which he has previously spoken about candidly.

“I thought Howie hated germs,” one person wrote. “That floor is nasty as hell lol.”

Another comment read, “Howie won’t shake hands but will touch the casino floor that has literally never been cleaned.”

A third fan commented, “@howiemandel has really come far with his fear of germs!”

“Impressive Howie for being on that disgusting casino floor with your hands !!!!” a fourth person added.

Howie first opened up about suffering from OCD, which is an anxiety disorder that produces repetitive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, in an interview with ABC News in 2009.

Speaking to news program 20/20’s co-anchor David Muir, Howie said, “I’m always on the verge of death in my head.”

While he was presenting Deal or No Deal, Howie fist-bumped contestants instead of shaking hands with them, owing to his crippling fear of germs.

WHAT HOWIE HAS SAID ABOUT HIS OCD

“In my mind [my hand] is like a petri dish. … Otherwise I would spend the day, as I have in the past in my life in the men’s room rubbing and scrubbing and scalding, he told David.

America's Got Talent judges

THOUSANDS of hopefuls have graced the America's Got Talent stage to showcase their abilities.

Here is some more information about the A-list judges.

Simon Cowell – On October 22, 2015, it was revealed Simon was replacing Howard Stern on the AGT judges panel. He became a judge during the program’s 11th season and has since remained a series regular.

Heidi Klum – In March 2013, Heidi was announced as Sharon Osbourne’s replacement on AGT . After a few seasons off, she returned during Season 15.

Sofia Vergara – On February 27, 2020, NBC revealed Sofia was replacing Gabrielle Union for AGT season 15.

Howie Mandel – Out of all the panelists, Howie Mandel is the longest-tenured judge on America’s Got Talent . Howie joined the hit reality series during the show’s 5th season replacing David Hasselhoff .

Howie also revealed the precautions he takes to manage his OCD, including avoiding handrails and insisting that his makeup team use fresh sponges every day.

He detailed his struggles with the disorder at length in an autobiography titled Here’s the Deal: Don’t Touch Me, which was published in 2009.

In a more recent interview with USA Today, Howie explained the disorder as feeling trapped in a “dark, vicious circle” before crediting a combination of therapy and medication to help him break free.

“It’s just this vicious, dark circle, and it makes you… unproductive, unhappy, depressed,” he told the outlet.

“Sometimes there are people that have this that even end in suicide. It’s not a good thing, but the deal is that there is an answer, and there is help out there,” Howie continued.

In an Instagram post with fellow AGT judge Sofia Vergara last August, he appeared to poke fun at his condition .

Howie shared a picture in which he was playfully grabbing Sofia by one of her ankles, and captioned his post, “I’ll do anything to not shake hands.”

THE LATEST ON AGT

Howie returned to judge AGT with Sofia, Heidi Klum , and Simon Cowell when the latest season of the hit reality TV show premiered earlier this year.

The panel will evaluate 12 acts during the competition’s semi-final round, which will air on Wednesday, September 11.

New episodes are typically released every Tuesday, but the semi-finals were pushed back because of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s first presidential debate tomorrow.

Fans will vote to pick six finalists, who will compete against four acts that advanced to the finale after they received the judges’ live show Golden Buzzers in the quarter-finals.

These include Hakuna Matata Acrobats, dance troupe AIRFOOTWORKS, aerialists Sebastian and Sonia, and singer Dee Dee Simon.

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