Howie Mandel comprehends why Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, felt like a “bimbo” during her appearance on “Deal or No Deal.”
Meghan, then an actress known as Meghan Markle prior to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, appeared as a suitcase girl on the NBC game show hosted by the 66-year-old celebrity.
Mandel stated that he could relate to her recent accusations that she was intended to feel like a “bimbo” during her time as a model because he also “felt like nothing” throughout his presenting career.
He stated: “I understand because — I’ve never said this before — there was a pyramid of 26 gorgeous, intellectual ladies staring at me as if I were a piece of meat.
“I was in the center, wearing a suit, and I felt like I’m more than this. And they did nothing except stare at me; I was unable to respond. I got it. I felt like nothing.
“This is why I’ve moved on and become a judge on ‘America’s Got Talent’. I simply needed more than being a ‘Deal or No Deal’ host.”
Mandel, who continued with “Deal or No Deal” until its cancellation in 2019 and has served as a judge on “America’s Got Talent” since 2010, stated that he had “never heard” any of the ladies on the show “complain” about their roles.
According to him, Meghan was attempting to convey that she desired to “do more” than model in her lifetime.
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He advised UsWeekly: “I do not believe that she is disparaging “Deal or No Deal.” I don’t believe there were ever any complaints from the women. And unlike the majority of shows up to that point, the women had a greater role.
“They were frequently mic’d and had their say. I have never actually heard anyone complain, and I do not believe Meghan is complaining.
“I believe Meghan just stated that she wished to do more. She found it to be unsatisfying. So, I have no idea why there is such a commotion, but I will admit that standing there with 26 women gazing at me made me feel like a ditz.”
His remarks came mere weeks after the former ‘Suits’ actress, who has Archie, 3, and Lili, 16 months, with Prince Harry, said that the game show job was about “beauty” and that she wanted her kid to “aspire higher” in life.
During her podcast “Archetypes” on Spotify, she told Paris Hilton: “There were times when I was working on the set of “Deal or No Deal” when I was reminded of my time as an intern at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I was specifically valued for my intelligence while riding in the motorcade with the secretary of the Treasury.
“In this instance, I was valued for the exact opposite trait. All the females would line up prior to the show’s tapings. It was only about physical appearance and not necessarily intelligence.
“I would like for our daughter to aspire to greater heights. Yes, I want my daughter Lili to desire an education, to be intelligent, and to take pride in these qualities. I quit the show in the end.
“I was considerably more than what was being objectified on stage. I disliked feeling compelled to focus on my appearance. Without much substance. And that’s how it felt to me at the moment, when I was reduced to this precise archetype, the word bimbo.”