Howard Stern once blasted Howie Mandel for backing an ‘AGT’ contestant who ‘ruined’ the show
Known for his unfiltered and uninhibited opinions, Howard Stern's judging tenure on 'America's Got Talent' was anything but ordinary. While the shock jock tried his best to soften his critiques, there were moments when his candid nature took over. In one such instance, Stern slammed fellow judge Howie Mandel. The tension escalated when Stern openly called out Mandel for praising a contestant’s poor performance, causing a rift between the duo.
During the 'America's Got Talent' quarterfinals back in July 2012, Stern unleashed a fiery tirade of words aimed at Mandel for backing Big Barry, a 70-year-old performer. Stern believed Barry didn’t deserve to advance; however, Mandel was a consistent supporter of the contestant since day one. After Barry’s awkward performance of 'Feelin' Good' in a flashy tuxedo, Stern lashed out at Mandel for praising him, which once again fanned their disagreement over Barry's place in the competition, as per E! Online.
"The Howie filibuster is getting annoying to me," Stern said, before blasting Mandel for choosing entertainment over real talent. "I have to tell you—you know, Big Barry, this isn't about you. This is about Howie and how we preach the show and this is about the apology you owe to Flo Jo's daughter, to Andrew De Leon, and to all the people that could have gotten through instead of Big Barry. You ruined their chance... Howie owes all those performers that could have had a shot on this stage." Stern didn’t hold back on Barry either, stating, "Barry, no offense to you, but you're not fun, you're not funny and you're not talented. It was a big waste of time."
Tension between Stern and Mandel started before Barry even performed. While Mandel described Barry as "fun, funny, and big," to which Stern quickly rebutted, saying, "No, no, and no. My big toe has more talent than Big Barry. There is absolutely no place for him on my stage," as per Christian Post. Barry admitted to being concerned about gaining Stern's approval, stating, "I worry about Howard Stern because he definitely wasn't one of my biggest fans. I'm going to prove to Howard that Big Barry has got big talent."
Notably, Barry's quarterfinals performance featured him performing while surrounded by supermodels, as per America's Got Talent Wiki. Stern and Sharon Osbourne buzzed him, while Mandel gave him a standing ovation. Unfortunately, he didn't garner enough votes, leading to his elimination, alongside other acts like Aurora Light Painters, Lisa Clark Dancers, and The All Ways.
Stern, who joined 'America's Got Talent' in 2011, however, after four years, he announced his departure from the show, as per E! Online. Through his SiriusXM radio show, he stated, "I'm going through my own career evaluation right now… In all seriousness, I'm just too f*****g busy… Something's got to give." He further explained, "NBC's already asked me what my intentions are for next year, whether or not I'd come back. I kind of have told them I think this is my last season. Not, I think, this is my last season." Stern further shared that the conversation with NBC was difficult and that the show would move production to Los Angeles after his exit. When pressed by Robin Quivers, Stern confirmed, “I think it’s fair to say. I don't want to hang them up. Yeah, it’s my last season."