Howie Mandel Defended Meghan Markle’s “Deal Or No Deal” Briefcase Model Bimbo Comments

Meghan Markle recently had the Queen of Bimbos, Paris Hilton, on her podcast Archetypes to discuss being stereotyped as a bimbo (I cannot get behind her usage of “archetype“). Meghan made many an eye roll by talking about how her stint as a briefcase model on Deal or No Deal made her feel like a bimbo. Whoopi Goldberg basically said that when you’re an entertainer, you do the job and shut it; and ex-Real Housewife of Atlanta and former DOND briefcase model, Claudia Jordan, spoke out against Meghan’s account of her experience. Both takes are warranted, because why would Meghan think that opening numbered briefcases with dollar amounts in them would be intellectually stimulating? Surely, the entirety of the casting description was to “look cute, pop latches, and clap.” But apparently, not everyone muttered “oh, fuck OFF,” under their breaths; Howie Mandel, who hosted DOND, defended Meghan’s comments.

Page Six says that Howie doesn’t think that the negative reaction that Meghan has gotten for feeling like a bimbo during her time on the show is warranted.

The former game show host defended the Duchess of Sussex, saying she wasn’t bashing the show, but rather expressing how it made her feel.

“I’ve never really heard anybody complain and I don’t think Meghan is complaining,” the 66-year-old told Us Weekly in an article published on Thursday. “I think Meghan just said she wanted to do more. It wasn’t fulfilling for her.”

Howie went further by jokingly commiserating with Meghan by saying he felt like a lil’ hussy too since he had to be stared at by a gaggle of women for the entirety of his show hosting duties.

“So I don’t know why there is a big hoopla, except I have to say that me standing there with 26 women staring at me made me feel like a bimbo,” he added.

The TV personality — who previously revealed he didn’t remember Markle on the game show — went on to say he could understand where the 41-year-old was coming from after having similar feelings during his four years on the show.

“I get it because — I’ve never said this before — but they had this pyramid of 26 beautiful, intelligent women standing there just staring at me like I was a piece of meat,” he continued. “I was in the center, just dressed up in a suit and I felt like I am more than this. And they would just look at me and I had to do nothing.”

Although Mandel says he felt like “nothing” while on the iconic game show, he assured it “was a great workplace environment.”

He has a point. The only truly fulfilled brain on that show was the miserly banker silhouette who took pride in crushing the hopes and dreams of those poor, desperate contestants with heartwarming backstories. And while she hasn’t announced it yet, I can’t wait for Meghan to have Howie on Archetypes so they can discuss the clueless boomer stereotype which Howie perfectly embodies after innocently posting a prolapsed anus on that newfangled TikTak.

Pic: Faye’s Vision/Cover Images