Howie Mandel explains bias toward comedians on America’s Got Talent

Howie Mandel, a judge on America’s Got Talent since 2010, has expressed a personal bias toward stand-up comedians on the NBC reality competition. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mandel explained that he is “easier on comedians than the actual audience” because he understands the professional risks associated with the craft.

Mandel noted that while physical acts involving pyrotechnics or aerial stunts provide tangible displays of difficulty that audiences easily recognize, comedians face the immediate and precarious challenge of eliciting consistent laughter from strangers. He highlighted the vulnerability of a performer who must maintain a successful cadence of engagement to avoid the silence of a failing set.

As Season 21 progresses toward its live voting rounds, the competition features 44 selected acts, including only two stand-up comedians. Mandel, who performs approximately 200 stand-up sets annually across the United States and Canada, continues to advocate for the genre as it competes against flashier variety acts like magicians and contortionists.