A 73-year-old comic took the ‘AGT’ stage — then Howie Mandel realised he knew him from decades ago

Andy Huggins's stand-up act not only surprised judges with his age but also caught Howie Mandel's attention: "You are memorable.."
PUBLISHED APR 15, 2025
(L-R) Screenshot of Howie Mandel from 'America's Got Talent'; Screenshot of contestant Andy Huggins ‘America's Got Talent'(Cover Image Source: (L-R) YouTube| 'America's Got Talent')
(L-R) Screenshot of Howie Mandel from 'America's Got Talent'; Screenshot of contestant Andy Huggins ‘America's Got Talent'(Cover Image Source: (L-R) YouTube| 'America's Got Talent')

Many comedians have graced the 'America's Got Talent' stage; however, this senior comedian's stand-up act was something special. He didn't just win the judges over with his quick-witted jokes but also caught the attention of Howie Mandel, who happened to know him from over four decades ago. Soon after, the 73-year-old introduced himself, "I'm Andy Huggins. I'm from Houston, Texas." Mandel looked in amazement, as if he had seen a familiar face.



 

From the start of the act, he had the judges and the audience laughing: "I reached my sexual peak 38 years ago; I'm down to one shade of grey... If I catch a nap in the afternoon", He continued taking a dig at his age, "Sex is still exciting. I don't know what will come first, the orgasm or the foot cramp." With more jokes surrounding his sex life, he got audiences laughing their lungs out. However, the judges' opinions varied. According to GoldenDerby, Heidi Klum, seemingly impressed, said, "I think you're funny. I think you are adorable. I love that you're coming here and that you're doing this right now. I love that about you." Simon Cowell also added, "You're very naughty, aren't you? I think you're very funny. I think you're someone we're gonna remember. I'm just curious why you haven't had that break before."


 
 
 
 
 
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Howie Mandel, now clearly remembering who Huggins was, said, "Andy, when I walked by you backstage, I did not recognize you. But then I remembered that 40 years ago, I remember Andy Huggins as a 28-year-old kid like me on the stage. We were both starting together. Andy, you know what? You're funny. You're memorable. Welcome to show business!" Per the aforementioned outlet, Huggins never pursued his talent because of a bad habit of procrastination.



 

Even though Huggins got a yes from Cowell, Mandel, and Klum, things were different with Melanie Janine Brown. "I was confused by some of the jokes. I didn't understand some of the jokes. Sorry, my vote says 'No," she said. Fans at home were not pleased with Mel B's decision. One YouTube viewer wrote, "With past comedic acts, it has been shown that Mel has no sense of humor, and it doesn’t seem fair to the comedians to have to deal with her." Fans also called her out on social media and added, One Tweeted, "Mel apparently lost her sense of humor, but I’m glad the other judges found him funny. Andy Huggins is hilarious!" Another added, "He was really funny, but they need to get rid of MelB, she's stupid!! She doesn't get anything!"



 

Later, during a 2022 interview with Comedy Wham, Huggins reflected on his appearance on 'AGT.' "When I walk on stage, I think they antic­i­pate, you know, not just dad jokes, but grand­dad jokes — you know, cardi­gan sweater jokes. And so, I sur­prise them with the tone, and occa­sion­al­ly the lan­guage, and just the atti­tude." On meeting Mandel, the comedian added, "I think I was the first per­son to intro­duce Howie at the Com­e­dy Store … the first time he had per­formed [there]." 

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