Germaphobe Howie Mandel Talks Wearing Masked Singer Lobster Costume

The Masked Singer forced Howie Mandel out of his shell—literally.

"I was singing, I was dancing, I was hermetically sealed and protected with a shell," Mandel, who was unmasked arsenic the Rock Lobster during the Feb. 22 episode, exclusively told E! News. "It was similar a imagination travel true."

Especially because the 67-year-old is simply a germaphobe. "Anytime I tin beryllium wrapped up, not cognize wherever I am, not beryllium capable to interaction thing oregon spot anything," helium shared, "that's my comfortableness zone."

In fact, for the seasoned host, being unmasked on ABBA night had him shouting SOS. "The scariest portion is erstwhile we took disconnected the disguise and I hugged [host] Nick [Cannon]," helium said, joking, "I don't person the reply yet, but I took a gestation trial this morning."

Until then, helium gave us the answers we needed to know.

E! News: When you got the telephone telephone from The Masked Singer, what was your contiguous reaction?

Howie Mandel: My manager called maine and said, "Do you privation to sing and creation connected television?" and I go, "Hello? Hello? That's who I am." People don't cognize that. I emotion to sing and dance. 

E!: Did you get to prime your song?

HM: It was fixed to me. I didn't prime anything. I didn't prime the suit. I didn't prime the song. The choreography, I deliberation I had a batch to bash with. It was hard for the dancers to support up with me. But I'm a batch older than they are and I've been doing it for rather a agelong time. It was hard for the euphony way to support up with me. Everybody gave it a valiant try.

E!: Have immoderate friends reached retired with their reactions?

HM: Nope. Nobody's called me. I'm surviving successful a immense bubble of embarrassment close now. Nobody has reached out. 

E!: We're blessed we tin beryllium present for you.

HM: Thank you. I consciousness precise unsocial today.

E!: Did the acquisition springiness you a greater appreciation for contestants connected America's Got Talent?

HM: Absolutely. You'll perceive maine echo that. I'll go, "Listen, I cognize what it takes. I've been there. I've been successful your shoes. I've been successful your shoes and a lobster suit. So, perceive to me." 

E!: Like, "Sure you tin sing, but fto maine spot you bash it arsenic a crustacean?"

HM: Up until now, I knew thing astir lobster. When I dated, I erstwhile had crabs. But I cognize thing astir lobsters. I'm going to spell bent retired astatine the Red Lobster and effort to get recognized. 

E!: You've gone down truthful galore antithetic avenues in the amusement industry. What's inactive connected your bucket list?

HM: I'm talking to Cirque du Soleil. I'm beauteous flexible. 

The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays astatine 8 p.m. connected Fox.