Howie Mandel Is Not Dead — He’s Just Bald and Has Been Bald for 24 Years
Howie Mandel is not dead or ill but he does have a shaved head and some people think the bald are dying.
Updated March 25 2024, 4:54 p.m. ET
It seems like every few years there’s a rumor about Howie Mandel’s health. Whether it’s because he had to miss an episode of America’s Got Talent, shared a NSFW video on TikTok of a prolapsed anus, mourned the passing of his fellow comedians or had the president of UFC walk out of his podcast without warning, it seems like people are always concerned about Howie’s health and safety.
As of this writing, Howie Mandel is fine. He’s good in fact. You can see him on television every week on Canada's Got Talent, see him on America’s Got Talent when it begins its new season May 28 on NBC, and listen and watch to his podcast, Howie Mandel Does Stuff Podcast, every week. But some people thought he recently died.
The most recent Howie Mandel death hoax is confusing.
Howie Mandel has had a shaved head for 24 years. He’s spoken about this at length. He initially got rid of his luxurious locks for a movie role in 2000’s Spin Cycle. When he got his role as host of Deal or No Deal in 2005, most television viewers saw Howie’s shiny bald dome. His lack of hair is an extension of his OCD, which the comic and host documented in his 2009 autobiography Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me.
In the book Howie explains how the OCD and the bald head are linked. "I was always incredibly obsessed with germs and cleaning and taking shower after shower after shower...I had continuous repetitive thoughts that I couldn’t get past. As a child, my mind was a lot busier than I was. Until I was diagnosed, it was just called Howie. As an adult, I went to a therapist for other reasons, and I told him how I deal with things. And he said, "Y'know, that's OCD."
Howie’s bald look is not a secret nor a disguise. It’s a calling card in fact. Yet some folks believed Howie’s now-signature look is actually a sign of illness. That’s what’ll happen after you have a 40+ year career in Hollywood but reach an entirely new audience when you have MrBeast on your podcast.
Howie’s not dead but he is still poking fun at the dead.
Howie is not dead. Once again, Howie is alive and well. If you can’t wait until the next episode of CGT or AGT or his podcast, just visit his TikTok channel. His most recent clip, posted March 25, 2024, may be a slight nod to the most recent death hoax.
Howie can be seen judging on Canada’s Got Talent every Tuesday live on Citytv and streaming on Citytv+. New episode of Howie Mandel Does Stuff Podcast are released every Tuesday too. He also regularly posts to his Instagram account. He’ll have a shaved head when you see him on the show and podcast and on social media. It’s just a shaved head. He’s fine.
