Inside Heidi Klum's Friendship With Fellow AGT Judge Howie Mandel
If there's one talent show on TV where you know the judges are having just as good of a time as the audience and contestants, it's "America's Got Talent." The show feels like a nonstop party with its variety of mind-boggling acts, excited audience, and, of course, its lovable hosts and judges. Since the show's inception in 2006, we've seen many of its iconic judges come and go (and sometimes come back again). But the talent show always seems to come back to two of its most well-known faces, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel. Mandel, who is married to producer Terry Mandel, made his initial appearance as a judge in Season 4 and has stayed on the show ever since. Klum joined in Season 8 and continues to be a recurring face on the AGT panel and its spinoff shows.
While both Mandel and Klum aren't the only judges on the show, they're certainly two of our favorites. Their fun-loving personalities play off each other so well, and it's clear from watching the show that these two are onscreen and offscreen besties.
They have the most playful friendship
Fans of televised talent competitions will know it's a trope to have certain "types" of judges on the panel — the "mean" or harsher judge, the kind judge, the practical one, etc. For Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum, we can't think of a pair of judges who so closely align with the "fun" judge type. They have no problem getting up onstage with the contestants and having a blast, and they even play pranks on one another on-air just for laughs.
For an example of how much fun these two have together, look no further than the time Klum convinced Mandel to show off his skills (or lack thereof) in wearing high heels. The former Victoria's Secret model knows a thing or two about rocking sky-high heels, and she sought to bestow her knowledge upon Mandel. The impromptu fashion show made for comedy gold, which Klum shared on her Instagram page. In the video, Mandel can be seen strutting his stuff down a makeshift runway in towering heels and shorts while Klum gives her pal some much-needed pointers. As you can imagine, the comment section for the video is filled with laughing emojis.
Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel like to have fun together
Another example of the playful "America's Got Talent" duo having fun while being judges was when they got into a mock wrestling match during "America's Got Talent: Fantasy League," a spinoff show where the judges coach competitors and hope to lead them to victory. When Howie Mandel threatened to steal away one of Heidi Klum's teams — the acrobat duo known as the Ramadhani Brothers — she told Parade she had to show her cohost that she meant business. "I wrestled him to the ground," Heidi explained. "I was standing in front of the Golden Buzzer and there was no way around, so I took him down."
Maybe it's because of their similar fun-loving personalities, but Mandel and Klum have a very silly friendship that fans of "America's Got Talent" simply adore — and it definitely makes for great television as well.
They hang outside of work
One thing about Howie Mandel is that he loves people. The former host of "Deal or No Deal" is a people-person who gets excited about things he's impressed with. You can see it in his excitement for the contestants, which hasn't dulled in his more than 10 years with the hit show.
That love for people also spills over into his friendships. He loves to lavish his "AGT" buddies outside of work, including best bud Heidi Klum. As Season 18 of "AGT" got underway, Mandel decided to treat his coworkers and friends to a luxurious party at sea, whisking Klum, Sofia Vergara, Terry Crews, and others off on a boat for a night of drinks and laughter. Klum shared pictures of the fun evening to her Instagram and thanked Mandel for providing a fun-filled evening for them all.
Despite all the fun and teasing they do to one another on the show, there's a true sense of care between them as well. When Klum was a guest on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," she shared one aspect of their friendship that reveals just how close they are: He was the only friend to call and check on her daily when she fell sick during the COVID-19 outbreak. The "Germany's Top Model" host jokingly attributed Mandel's check-ins to him being a germaphobe who didn't want to get sick himself (they sit beside each other on the panel). "If I'm sick, he's sick!" she noted with a laugh.