The ‘Deal or No Deal’ alum told Jennifer Hudson about his excitement as he anticipates the arrival of his third grandchild
Howie Mandel is proud to be welcoming another grandchild into his family.
The Deal or No Deal alum, 68, opened up about being a grandfather on Thursday’s episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, where he revealed that he loves the role “even more than being a father” as he awaits the birth of his third grandchild.
“I’m having my third grandchild, my daughter is pregnant,” he announced of his youngest daughter Riley Ehrlich to the audience.
Mandel, who shares adult children Jackelyn Shultz, Alex Mandel and Riley with longtime wife Terry Mandel, explained that the family already knows that his daughter is having a girl. The television host already has two grandchildren, as eldest daughter Shultz, who he welcomed in 1984, is the mother of kids Abbey and Axel.
“Grandchildren, had I known it was this good and this much fun, I would’ve done that first,” Mandel joked.
“To have a child, to have a baby, to have this bundle of joy, this love that I can’t get enough of. And then to be able to give it back when it starts to smell,” he continued.
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During his sit-down with Hudson, 42, Mandel detailed his relationship with his grandchildren, who call him “Papa” and even make him friendship bracelets and other crafts — which he showed off to the host.
“That’s my little girl and my little guy,” Mandel said when an image of Axel and Abbey appeared on screen. “That’s the joy of my life. That’s all that matters in my life, are those two.”
“The beauty is, when you have babies, they think you’re a superhero,” Mandel added. “You’re the greatest thing in the world. And then a switch goes off at a certain age where you’re just dumber than a rock. Not cool at all. I thought I would be a cool dad, they just… no.”
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Even though his kids went through a phase of thinking he wasn’t “cool” when they were teens, Mandel is a loving father and grandpa, just as he’s a loving husband. The America’s Got Talent judge and wife Terry have been married since 1980, and will be celebrating their 44th year of marriage in 2024, decades after the two met in high school at William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate Institute in Toronto.
“My wife doesn’t speak or understand a word of English, so that’s what works for us,” the comedian joked to PEOPLE when asked about the longevity of their relationship. “I don’t know how to say ‘I am funny’ in her language, but it works for us.”
“Communication is overrated,” he added, again joking: “I’ve been married for 43 years and we haven’t said a word to each other.”
As he said on Today with Hoda & Jenna in 2022, Mandel met his wife while waiting in line to buy french fries.
“I actually borrowed money from her,” the comedian said. “I didn’t know her, and I was short a couple of bucks for french fries and she lent me money. She was, like, 14 at the time and she lent me money. And I’ve been paying her back ever since.”