Mandel made a guest appearance on the March 31 episode of Billy Bush’s Hot Mics podcast, during which he expressed his feelings of “regret” after uploading his apology video.
“Who was offended?” the host asked.
Mandel replied, “I don’t know. I’ve been reading articles on the internet, and if somebody is offended, if somebody feels that I did wrong, then I apologize. I don’t believe in apologizing, as I said in that post.”
He said, “I kind of regret making the post. Because I don’t think that you should apologize for a joke.”
He further reflected on the on-air spat with Ripa, admitting he did not appreciate her comment.
“I do agree, and people are saying it wherever I go now. I do think I look good. And I don’t think the caveat is for 70. I just think I look good,” he said.
On the other hand, the situation reportedly made him focus more on his appearance and how he “project[s] himself.”
“Up until a couple of weeks ago, I [didn’t] really focus on my looks. I focus on staying healthy and vibrant,” he declared.
“I don’t know if that’s healthy. I feel bad. I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t know when this will end. I hope it ends soon, because I didn’t mean to cause any disruption,” Mandel said. “I didn’t mean to embarrass anybody.”
The comedian added he now understands what image-focused stars go through in the spotlight.