Howie Mandelteased the “epic"new seasonofAmerica’s Got Talent.
On Tuesday’s episode ofthePEOPLE Every Daypodcast, the comedian, 66, opened up about what fans can expect from season 17 of the hit talent series, which kicks off Tuesday night.
“I’m the longest running judge on the show,” he told host Janine Rubenstein. “Wait till you see this season, but I think there is something in the air. And I think it’s because ofwhat had been going on throughout the world… All this energy was bottled up. So now we have the live audience, people who have been locked away in their prospective homes, countries, wherever they [were], and they just showed up and exploded on our stage.”
Kevin Winter/WireImage

“We are seeing things bigger, more dangerous, more exciting than we have ever seen before,” he added. “What a great respite from all the turmoil that is going on in the world to just sit down with your family and watchAGT.”
Days after revealing that he is now in a wheelchair, the former escapologist and self-described daredevil, 42,shared an optimistic messagewith his followers, writing, “When things go wrong … try not to panic. Take a minute … take a breath. Then work out how to move forward.”
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Mandel revealed on thePEOPLE Every Daypodcast the secret to the show’s long-term success is the friendship between himself and fellow judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara, as well as host Terry Crews.
From left: Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Terry Crews, Sofia Vergara, Simon Cowell.Trae Patton/NBC

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“The secret sauce toAGTis we all love each other,” he shared. “Terry, me, Simon, Heidi, and Sofia really enjoy each other off-camera, out of the show, and respect each other — but don’t agree a lot, which also makes it real and fun.”
Mandel — who is partnering withNOCD, a company which provides treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder, a condition he has — also shared a look at how he copes with his ownmental health struggles.
He added that he hopes everyone can make mental health a priority in the same way.
“I think if we take care of our mental health, we will be taking care of the world,” he explained. “I think you’ll become more productive, happier, and it’ll just be a safer place for each and every one of us.”
Check out more episodes ofPEOPLE Every Day, airing onApple podcasts,iHeartMedia, Spotify,Stitcher, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
source: people.com