Who is Howie Blandel? Howie Mandel impersonator baffles judges before returning to the stage two more times
The final night of auditions on ‘America's Got Talent’ featured many hopefuls, but one contestant managed to leave the judges completely baffled before he had even started. Comedian Marcus Monroe arrived on stage with an unusual plan, stepping into the spotlight disguised as judge Howie Mandel. Before Monroe could even explain what he was about to do, Mel B made her feelings clear. Reaching across the judges' desk, she slammed all four red buzzers before the performance had officially begun. The audience objected to the early interruption and urged the judges to let the comedian continue. After hearing the crowd's response, the panel agreed to allow him to perform. Taking the stage fully dressed as Mandel, the comedian introduced himself as “Howard Michael Mandel.”
Simon Cowell looked completely puzzled by the idea and wasted no time getting straight to the point. “My first question is, why?” Cowell asked. Monroe, performing as Howie Blandel, explained that he simply loves comedy. His explanation, however, did little to ease Mel B's discomfort. Watching from backstage, host Terry Crews summed up the mood with a blunt observation. “This is disturbing,” he said. Simon then played along by asking, “Howie, do you think you are funny?” Speaking as though he really were Mandel, the impersonator replied, “Do I think I'm funny? I think a 50-year career would say yes. I think I'm funny.” He then launched into a string of wordplay built around Mandel's television career and famous name.
“For lunch today, I couldn't decide if I wanted a pickle with my sandwich or not,” he joked. “I was like, ‘Deal or no Deal?’” The joke referenced Mandel's longtime role as host of ‘Deal or No Deal’, but the panel wasn't exactly rolling with laughter. Monroe quickly followed it with another pun: “If I was on a farm, I'd be Cowie Mandel.” Mandel himself appeared entertained throughout the act, but the other judges looked far less impressed. Mel B didn't hold back when it was time to respond. “That was not good,” she said before turning toward the audience and asking, “Did anybody laugh?” As Sofía Vergara tried to soften the criticism by pointing out that the judges had already watched “so many amazing contestants,” Mel B interrupted, “You don't have to justify yourself for it being that bad.”
Cowell admitted, “Where this goes, I have no idea.” “I think we're just gonna go straight to the vote.” Mel B immediately answered, “No.” Vergara and Cowell followed with 'No' votes of their own. Despite the rejection, Monroe accepted the outcome with a smile. “That's fair,” he said. “Good night.” As he walked off the stage, the real Mandel offered a much warmer farewell: “I love you,” he said. For many contestants, three 'No' votes would have marked the end of the road. Monroe, however, wasn't done entertaining the judges just yet. The comedian returned later during the same audition episode with an entirely different persona.
This time, he transformed himself into comedian Katt Williams and built another routine around cat-themed puns. Unfortunately for him, that performance also failed to impress the judges. However, he had one more surprise waiting backstage. For his third appearance, Monroe arrived dressed as Satan under the name Lou, short for Lucifer. The devil-themed routine also relied on puns, but unlike the earlier attempts, this version came with a clearer comic perspective and stronger delivery. That change finally clicked with the judges. After watching the final performance, the panel responded much more positively than they had earlier in the evening. Monroe then earned three Yes votes to stay in the competition.
