We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Howie Mandel, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the comedian and television show host that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: He Was on Muppet Babies. In its first two seasons of airing, Mandel played the voices of Bunsen Honeydew, Animal, and Skeeter on Muppet Babies.
Number Seven: He Had His Own Talk Show. Before he was the host of Deal or No Deal, Mandel had his very own talk show called The Howie Mandel Show. The show premiered in 1998, but it was canceled after just one season.
Number Six: One of His Tricks Got Him a Perforated Sinus. One of Mandel’s signature moves as a comedian was to put a latex glove on his head and inflate it with his nose until the glove was propelled off of his head. However, after being diagnosed with a perforated sinus, he stopped performing the trick.
Number Five: He is a Spokesperson for Boston Pizza. Because he is their spokesperson, Mandel has appeared in many commercials for the brand as well.
Number Four: He Hosts a Domestic and International Version of Deal or No Deal. And he is one of the few game show hosts to ever do so. The other hosts who host both domestic and international versions of their shows include Anne Robinson, John McEnroe, Donny Osmond, Joey Fatone, and Darren McMullen.
Number Three: He Almost Didn’t Host Deal or No Deal. Executives at NBC had to ask Mandel to host Deal or No Deal many, many times before he finally agreed. At the time, Mandel was considering leaving show business; however, once he saw a tape of the overseas version of the show, he agreed to host it.
Number Two: He Was Almost Replaced by Arsenio Hall. It’s true! Arsenio Hall was originally supposed to be the host of Deal or No Deal, but clearly that didn’t pan out.
Number One: He Can Only Use His Own Bathroom. Because of his mysophobia, Mandel has said that he cannot use public bathrooms – only the one he uses at home is acceptable.