there's nothing that the ladies of "the talk" won't talk about. what will they say about the chaos? sharon osbourne, sarah gilbert, holly robinson peete and lisa romina talking to me. the always outspoken and irritating howie mandell. from hollywood, this is "piers morgan tonight." well, charlie sheen's done it all again tonight grabbing the headlines and joining me now to about is howard bragman, janice minn, steven batalia and bill carter. bill, let me start with you. what do you make of what's happened today when i interviewed harvey wean steen he said don't underestimate the steely resolve of the networks. >> it has come crashing down and kind of inevitable because there was no way to get out of the confrontational words throwing at them and i could tell when i talked to them over the past week or so that they were really running out of patience because even when he performed on your show and came across as charming, i thought, it didn't crack the hostility coming from the other side. i feel like they felt it was a last straw element to the last ten days or so. >> in their statement, i'll read a line or two. mr. sheen's erratic behavior escalated while his condition detier rated. his declining condition undermined the production in numerous and significant ways. now the entire world knows mr. sheen's condition from alarming outbursts over just the last few weeks. howard bragman, here's my thing of charlie sheen. when he came in here, he seemed relatively normal. he was funny. she was sparky. he was entertaining, confrontal, defiant. in many ways like his character in the show. where's the damage to the show here from charlie's behavior offscreen? >> well, the damage to the show is can't produce a show. if you look at the ten-page letter or 11-page letter that warner brothers sent to charlie's attorneys, you'll see that there's a lot of range of incidents, 2009 in aspen, the plaza hotel and it's ka lated and escalated and started to go after the producers. so vicious. i think warner's left with no other possibilities, piers. >> janice, from a trade magazine's point of view, hollywood reporter, obviously, you have covered many stories like this over the year. >> right. >> where does it rank charlie? seems to me one of the kind of all-time confrontations. >> celebrity flame-outs, britney spears, lindsay lohan. this is the first one in a top-rated sit tom on the top-rated network who is going out not just in flames but burning down the whole city, as well. and it's spectacular. enabled by the internet now in a way previous stars have not been and he's also completely stubborn in his certitude. he believes he is 100% right and willing to share that message. this is the financial implications of his actions here will reverberate. it changes cbs's schedule. it changes the revenues for warner brothers. the studio that produces this. they were counting on -- they have grown to count on the syndication money of selling "two and a half men" time and again. >> i don't think viewers will cry over cbs or charlie sheen. steve, let me ask you, though, the real victim, the real loser for want of a better phrase is the viewer who really enjoyed "two and a half men." they've lost their favorite show because without charlie sheen, this show is no longer what it was. >> it may not longer be what it was but there's always a possibility that they will go on with the show. cbs is committed to another season and i happen to think that they're going to try to find a new actor and keep the show going. it gets more difficult every year to launch a new show. and "two and a half men" is a show people recognize and the publicity creates great curiosity with a new actor and they will line up. great payday. not as much as charlie smeen ma smeen makes and a better bet. >> there's history of incidents like this. does it normally work to replace them with somebody else? >> incredibly enough, it usually does work. especially sitcoms, if you look at, you know, "m.a.s.h." or "cheers" or "three's company" or "be witched" shows continued. if it's popular. it may lose something but they tend to succeed. there's an actual similar case where they actually fired a person, valerie harper, was fired off of a show called "valerie" and renamed it the "hogan family" and ran three more years and tends to work. i totally agree with steve. my sense is that cbs and warner brothers are gearing up and have already made plans to replace charlie and continue the show. >> howard, let me ask you again from a pr perspective, i guess, is charlie sheen employable anymore in television? >> i think he is. mark cuban talked to him about going to hd net. this is the number one paid actor on tv with 14 million viewers to basically "wayne's world yts on the internet with 1% of those viewers so mark cuban is very smart here getting the actor who's damaged goods for a lesser price pennies on the dollar and put them on his relatively small network. it's certainly a win for him. yeah, somebody's always going to scoop up the dregs in hollywood. >> steve, do you agree with that? do you think that's charlie's still bankable? >> with all due respect to your wonderful career and reality television, piers, that's really the only thing that's left. for charlie sheen right now. to put him on a scripted show or a movie is going to be very difficult because who is going to insure him in he's not dependable. that was really the key to charlie sheen's surviving as long as he did on "two and a half men." why does the network look the other way? he had the problems because he was showing up every day and doing his job and create -- still bringing in viewers. clearly, something happened. the last couple of months. his condition was deteriorating. his performance was deteriora deteriorati deteriorating. creating a toxic environment on the set and that was endangering the show and once that happens that's a problem. >> i'm going to disagree. >> let me just -- >> i want to disagree with steve. i think someone will hire him. i think what we saw in the last week is every show he went on -- your ratings basically doubled. everybody's ratings went up. >> yeah. >> if you're nbc right now and no show that works, and or another -- especially a cable network, i think they'll try a shot at this guy. if they can get -- the insurance is a key factor. this is a guy who apparently has some appeal for an audience. i think they'll take a shot at him. >> that's the tension playing out here. who was really the key to the success of "two and a half men"? was it the creator chuck loury or the star charlie sheen? i think that was part of the conflict here. cbs and warner brothers sided with chuck loury because he is a producer to create -- who has a track record of hit shows and has the ability to create more hit shows. charlie sheen -- >> janice, let me bring in janice here because when charlie sat here with me a week ago, i said, you are on twitter? i said you will be really popular. a week later, past 2 million followers. anyone to break the world record or twitter followers, the ratings he did to my show that night, which exploded and indeed other shows he did, this guy is still a hot property. isn't he? >> he is a little bit of a folk hero to some people, whether we like it or not. everyone's quoting him. they think he's funny. guys, you know, he's -- they're living out a fantasy through charlie sheen and, you know, even doing at the hollywood reporter a poll on charlie sheen a few weeks back and viewers don't care. they don't care that charlie sheen is arrested for attacking his wife and, you know, once shot kelly preston and the crazy behavior and been in rehab twice or however many times. they don't care. they like the show. >> here's the thing. i suppose treating this from a business point of view and everything else. the final part of the statement, mr. sheen went from a factor that an individual whose conduct resulted in the hospitalization, his inability to work at all for a period and the rapid erosion of the cooperative process necessary to produce the show. the behavior intoller to believe the production of a tv show. >> it is interesting. we talked to marty singer right before i came on air here at the hollywood reporter and tell s they're going to sue and fight this hard because they feel warner brothers set a precedent before, he's been arrested, pled guilty to a felony and during that same time, this was when he attacked his wife in aspen in 2009 that warner brothers continued the negotiation with him to continue the show so there have been lots of examples previously where they knew he screwed up and didn't care and turned and looked the other way and the argument they're making an exception in this case and unfair. >> i spoke to charlie earlier, briefly on the phone and he was flag mattic of what happened. he said, i'm winning. duh. so i guess, you know, charlie sheen, maybe you don't lose here. he has millions in the bank. the goddesses at home. everyone's talking about him. millions of followers. i think the story's unfinished. my bet would be charlie sheen's back on a hit show before too long. wouldn't yours be, howard? it's hollywood, isn't it? >> there can be time but you don't stay that high without crashing. something has got to give. this guy's been manic for a couple of weeks now at this point. >> let me ask you very quickly. charlie sheen back within six months on tv yes or no? >> probably. >> back within a year. i say robert downey jr. >> bill? >> within a year, yes. >> maybe on a reality show a year from now. that no one will watch. >> maybe celebrity apprentice. i can give him a few tips on that one. thank you all for that. fascinating story. hollywood at its best and worst, i guess. when we come back, a group of ladies with something to say about this and the ladies of "the talk." it's pain relief without the pills. no pills, no pain. how can you get pain relief without taking pills around the clock? try thermacare heatwraps, for all day relief without pills. i was surprised, thermacare worked all day. you feel the heat. and it relaxes and unlocks the muscle. you've got to try it. 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let's have a little chat about sheen. julie? >> let me just say this. >> turn to you because your husband happens to run cbs and just fired him. >> let me say this. minutes ago, backstage in your green room, lea asked me would this be a good time to ask to bring back "the king of queens." i said, lea, no comment. >> you don't get involved in this. what's your personal view of charlie? >> i have no comment on it. >> no view of him? >> i do but i have no view on the show about it. >> aren't you allowed to talk about it? no? >> i just think it would be -- it wouldn't be right for any of us to comment about it. i think it's -- >> don't be ridiculous! >> i'm not being ridiculous. >> it's the biggest story in town. >> not to us. we haven't talked about it not once. >> none of you talked about charlie sheen? >> we have not spoken about him on the show not once. >> because he's a cbs star. >> is he? >> who? >> who? >> who? >> sharon's famous for going who? >> you have talked about him. we have on "america's got talent" last week. you start. >> i look at it from a mother. if that was my son -- >> yeah. >> that was my husband. i know the damage that that behavior does to a family. so i'm sad for his family. because i know the feeling that goes with that. i mean, listen. i wasn't around such extreme cases as that but i just look at it from a mother thinking, my god, that's my son or that's my -- >> your kids have been through some rough stuff. >> nothing like that. >> with ozzy, hair raising stuff. >> yeah. i know how it feels to love someone like that and the sadness and the damage it does within a family, within the nucleus of the family. and nobody gets away free. nobody gets away free. people get damaged. people get hurt. and i just look at it from that and my heart aches for his family. >> you have all been on tv shows in different capacities. does it really matter how somebody behaves in their private lives when it comes to the performance on a tv show? >> you want to take that? >> i don't think that it necessarily affects your acting. i mean, my personal opinion is that i can -- it's sometimes -- you see somebody's life in their acting because they become very famous. >> you went with roseanne and hardly a shrinking violet. >> right. >> every day wasn't a quiet tea party. aren't people who are at the top of their game in entertainment, they tend to be a bit on the edge, don't they? a bit erratic. >> i don't know. look. we all come like you said from a background of shows and i just think we're so blessed to be able to do what we do and it's the best job in the world to be able to do what you love to do. and so we really can't complain about our jobs. we can't complain about our job now. we're just really lucky to do what we love to do. >> julie, on sharon's point there. forget charlie sheen for a moment. just on a human level, the guy i feel sorry for here is probably martin sheen we know trying very hard to try to talk to his son and get some sense into him and stuff. that's the hard bit for a parent with a child off the rails whatever age they are. >> speaking as a parent, you only want the best for your child. you would most of us would be willing to take a bullet for our kid and to just try and to put myself in any parent's shoes who are facing problems like we're seeing with charlie sheen, it is heartbreaking. what can you do? you can't control another human being. >> what did charlie say here? holly, remind you what he said. i brought up the subject of the dad an he was very like, i'm 50 years old. i can do what i like. >> who said he's 50? he's about 44. >> looks 50. >> looks 60. >> he was of an age where -- okay. my age. >> a grown ass man. he can do what he wants. that's the tragedy. for me, it is about his kids and what worries me. he has, what, five kids? >> yeah. >> various ages, all documented. that's the part that's disturbing for me. >> isn't it a difficult area if you get into moralizing about people's personal behavior and seems the scrutiny on the life, he was -- it was an interesting moment here watching a little bit of anderson cooper's show on libya coming up afterwards. and charlie's in the break shaking his head going, when's happened to the world when i'm leading the news agenda for basically having a few parties? and libya is being reduced in importance. and he was being sincere about that. he's fueled all the attention a little bit but i got the point. aren't the values a little bit warped? >> you should answer that because you do breaking news, piers. i mean, nobody says to you, okay, you got to go with charlie. forget libya. you do it because that's what everyone's talking about. >> i think you got some pretty fabulous women right now talking to you and you want to talk about is charlie. >> you don't worry because i tell you why. it's interesting. >> to tell. >> apart from everything else, we know it's popular rating really highly when everyone is talking about charlie. >> so it's about the ratings? >> no. it is the about the issues, the treatment of women is a big issue, for example. what do you feel about that? you know, is it right to castigate charlie sheen now again for alleged misdemeanors against women, for example? >> it is like i said. we keep trying to talk about like we're doing with the charlie sheen hour and i don't -- i don't care enough to be talking about it. like i really -- not to be disrespectful to you but i feel like we're making it more news and talking about a human being's life and it's just not -- i just don't think it's right to comment about somebody i don't know and, like -- >> there it is. you got a very popular show. just picked up again. very, very well. congratulations. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> i enjoy it. i have to throw it back at you. this is exactly the kind of meat and drink issue stuff you would talk about all the time. the viewer s i can tell you engrossed in the charlie sheen story. whether you want to talk about it or not. doesn't matter what i think. it's the fact of the american public now are reverberated. >> i don't go ahead, sarah. >> we get together in the morning and talk about when's going on and whatever we spark to, we talk about. i don't think we purposely avoid anything, purposely talk about anything. it's very organic process. what do we get the most out of and fun of talking about. >> it's what we do is not kind of the magazine tv show. we're not the lindsay lohan, charlie sheen. we don't do it. >> we never discuss lindsay lohan. >> never? >> never. we just don't do it. >> there's thing that is are in the news we as a group decide we don't want to talk about. not that we want to start people's day or their afternoon talking about things. >> in ohio in jail for trying to get a better school for her kid. i mean, that's the kind of stuff we talk about. >> y'all are talking about it. you talk about it a lot and so -- >> here's the deal. when we come back, it's a charlie sheen free zone. >> yeah! >> i have listened to the ladies of "the talk" loudly and clearly got the message. >> it is about time! >> charlie is banned for the next segment and find out what you do want to talk about. vo: it's time for a phone... to save us from our phones. new windows phone. now for a limited time get a samsung focus for $99.99, at at&t. naomi pryce: i am. i'm in the name your own price division. i find empty hotel rooms and help people save - >> - up to 60% off. i am familiar. your name? > naomi pryce. >> what other "negotiating" skills do you have? > i'm a fifth-degree black belt. >> as am i. > i'm fluent in 37 languages. >> (indistinct clicking) > and i'm a master of disguise >> as am i. > as am i. >> as am i. > as am i. >> well played naomi pryce. why is it that in quite -- i think a high percentage of women when they get older that they [ bleep ]? >> back now with the ladies of "the talk." that was no surprise. having worked with miss osbourne, the tongue gets carried away. how many times do you have to bleep her every morning? >> once every five to eight days. right? >> two times a week at least. >> but i have to say that it's so exciting doing live television with somebody who can do that. like, it's fun. i'm like, oh, what is sharon going to do today? >> unpredictable. >> exciting. >> she'll say anything. >> don't worry. i've worked with her. she is like a pomeranian dog of hers, small and dangerous. constantly yapping. >> we see -- i will punch you. >> oh no. >> okay? if you want -- >> a real atmosphere. >> if you want sharon on your show and don't do it here with us. okay? still think you're cute. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. listen. but she's a lover. she's so -- i don't know. i was shocked that, you know, at how sweet and loving and caring she is. and it's just the opposite of what -- >> she is a lioness. fight for her pride. >> that's true. >> if you become close to sharon, one of the most generous, kind-hearted people you would ever know. >> that's right. >> but if you cross her, my god, wrath of khan descends on you. you have five strong-minded women coming together. you didn't try to copy "the view." you seem a very different program. that's a smart move and how do you come to decide the way to take it? >> well, it was sara's creation but what makes our show work is that you have five very different women who are all smart and funny and honest and they're not afraid to speak the truth and speak their mind. sara can speak to what she wanted to create was basically an hour of television where a woman at home can feel like she's tuned in to being with her girlfriends for an hour. talking about the female issues that we talk about. everything from who did what on "american idol" last night to, you know, dealing with a newborn at home. so, and it works. you know, all the personalities are so different. no one repeats the same note as the next woman. >> holly, what would you say is the number one issue for women in america right now? what's the one thing you think the viewers keep coming back to? >> i would say the number one issue is probably marital problems. or just relationship problems. and, but my friends are always asking me, can we please talk more about sex on the show? they're saying, please, can we have more sex conversation? >> more lashings of sex? >> yeah. >> getting not enough of it? >> or too much. you know. >> what i like about the show, and i have never saw it as a show for women. men say, you know, i watch the show. >> i watch it like a guilty pleasure. >> exactly. but it is like when my husband walking by the kitchen and hears me talking, he want it is know what we're talking about and -- oh, so, that's you're so crazy and do that? >> i think it's like julie said, it is like you're getting into a conversation that everybody's having. that, you know, it is just a conversation that we're having. >> sara, was that the concept you had originally? >> well, yeah. i was in this mom group and sort of modeled it after that because it was kind of a support group for second-time moms and what happened was we started talking about issues with our kids and ended up talking about everything in the world. >> because that's what people do. >> that's what people do. >> we're moms and talk about our kids all the time. >> the friendships developed and i think what's so awesome about this show and what i'm excited about is all of our friendships are developing and i think that's what's making the show special is that we're feeling so connected to each other and bringing hopefully something real. >> what do you all think of "the view"? >> we think it's great. the show has been -- >> do you? >> i was on bedrest 13 years ago when "the view" started. i watched every day. i think it's a great show. i love the format. i think it's great. >> sharon, you must pluck feathers when you -- >> i love it. >> rivals? >> i love it. they're not rivals. >> what? listen. piers, what are you saving the hard-hitting questions for us? you should be asking somebody else the hard-hitting questions instead of giving them compliments. >> i'm trying to get you to blow. i wound you up. the brooklyn punch over the table. i have my tv moment. >> is it -- >> i want to know how he feels about anderson cooper. >> come on. >> i love anderson cooper. >> come on, piers. >> wolf, he's a dark horse. seriously. i had a drinking session with wolf the other night. >> we should be so lucky to be on as long as "the view" has been on. >> they paved the way for a show like ours. >> many incarnations of this show attempted and we're the first one to have actually -- >> relaunching "newsweek" and had 150 of the most -- >> who is that? >> you know. >> who? >> who? >> just a joke. >> who? >> she focused on women and how many successful women there are around the world. do you feel that women have come a long way or a long way to go? what do you think? >> i think we have come a long way. a ways to go and we can't complain. we're all doing what we love to do. >> talking? >> yeah. we are in the entertainment business. >> we're getting paid to do it. >> women naturally love to talk. >> oh, yeah. >> talk show host! >> we hope to inspire. in what we do. you know? maybe give someone inspiration or hope. an outlet. >> people are not alone. their problems, we've been through the problems, too. you know, we came through it. we're all doing okay. >> listen. i think it's a great show. i think talking is great. people don't talk enough and i think the show's a great success. congratulations on it being picked up. sharon, you will stay with me because we have howie mandell in the building. >> not him. >> yes. the rest of you, thank you so much. >> you're so lovely. >> didn't hit me once. got away with it. we'll be right back with howie. to help revitalize a neighborhood in massachusetts, restore a historic landmark in harlem, fund a local business in chicago, expand green energy initiatives in seattle. because when you're giving, lending and investing in more communities across the country, more opportunities happen. but you can still refinance to a fixed rate as low as 4.75% at lendingtree.com, where customers save an average of $293 a month. call lending tree at... today. so he chose a university where the faculty average over 14 years of experience in their fields to help him turn a thesis into a business plan and accelerate the path between ideas... and actions. my name is myron sullivan, i'm developing a robotic system to clean oil spills, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] learn more about the school of business at phoenix.edu. i'm telling you, you've got something there. before i was a judge i used to sit on the couch and i would scream shut up! it's good. >> that was a clip of nbc's "america's got talent." of course, i'm a judge on and that sharon osbourne and judged by the third amigo howie mandel. one of the best-loved stand-up comedians. i know you as the most annoying man. >> it's an honor to be on a show that i was banned from. what does banning from in brit tn? >> not allowed on the show. >> apparently -- >> i was told you need add boost and i thought i could control you because even if the two days that we have been filming auditions in seattle you have been a complete nightmare. >> me? me? >> yes. you drove a large pink truck to embarrass me. a pepsi dispensing machine. you sprayed gas. you are a living nightmare. >> you are not a nightmare. did he not -- you took us to lunch. do you think that was a prize? >> the best, the best. it was -- the best lunch ever. >> he says the best lunch. the whole crew. >> i said the best russian hot dog place in seattle. >> russians aren't known for their hot dogs and this woman, i'm not going to -- we won't -- a woman there who didn't wear gloves and took cash and then held the -- >> a greyhound -- >> she held the hot dogs. she held the hot dogs. served them with the hands, two hot dogs and a mint and then somebody else, assistant got two hot dogs and emergency. >> i'm going to come to the weird phobias later on. >> that's not a phobia. >> i wanted to sharon on for this because it's only fair, howie, given you're a judge on "america's got talented" we were weak in that area. thank god you arrived. you were dispa rajjing. we have your greatest talent. this is from 1981, hbo's 6th annual young comedian show starring a young howie mandel. enjoy. >> from toronto, canada, an off the wall comedian, howie mandel. let's hear it. >> what in what? what? what? okay, okay. got the handbag. this is my handbag. what? what? i'm like no other comedians on the show. i'm not a stand-up. >> it looks -- performing from sheen's corner. >> even then you were annoying. >> yes! what? but that was me. you know who was on the show? it was me, jerry seinfeld, lewis, hosted by the smother brothers and here i am on a banned show. >> where is the handbag? >> i keep it in my -- i have it in my -- where i keep my things. >> what are your secret talent, sharon? i'm curious to what gives you the right to judge talent, as well. >> i started off as a failed child prodigy. >> at what? >> at dancing, singing. that's how i started out. tv commercials. >> you are a -- >> yes. i was failed! i was crap. >> do you have a piece of that. >> i wish we had. i'll find it. >> got to be without sound. that's -- that's my thing. i was failed. i came from a showbiz family. both my mom, my dad and like fourth generation. he was a singer before that. my mother was a dancer. >> you have a right to be. >> i was only kidding. the great thing is your ability to run huge bands you have done. in a more ruthless manner than many men does. >> does, does, right now, ozzy fest, the producer of that. >> you know what it is? it is something for me. i have done it my entire life and i was a failed child prodigy. >> how can you say failed and prodigy? >> that's what i was meant to be. failed. >> prodigy means it's -- >> failed. >> you are not a prodigy. you were a failed child actor dancer, singer. prodigy alludes to real talent there. >> well, i thought. >> can you two continue this? >> we should mention because our boss is here from -- there's ten days left and people want to be judged by us. >> still enter "america's got talent." the ebb site of nbc. get on and -- >> agtauditions.com. >> got it. >> in the entire world, in the world. get out of here. >> i'm going to get rid of you. >> you are apparently staying. >> i'm banned. i'm on a good list, me and madonna. >> i used to be on the list. >> we'll be back from this chaos with howie mandel. fills me with dread. live tof. ♪ 100 ways to enjoy pringles. ♪ ♪ and they're the same price as the leading bag chips. 100 crisps... 100 ways. ♪ everything pops with pringles. what was i thinking? but i was still skating on thin ice with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself. i've been eating healthier, exercising more and now i'm also taking lipitor. if you've been kidding yourself about high cholesterol, stop. lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering medication, fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. lipitor is backed by over 18 years of research. 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[ male announcer ] there's just something about werther's caramel that makes a chocolate so smooth and creamy, you don't just taste it, you feel it. ♪ magic [ male announcer ] werther's original caramel chocolate. what comfort tastes like. here's my colleague anderson cooper. when's coming up later? >> piers, the war in libya intensifying and a new interview, gadhafi makes completely false statements. this is a street battle that gadhafi claims sanjay gupta happening saying the town of misra the a is retaken. we'll speak to a fighter there saying they're fighting back and holding on. the man tonight expects another attack perhaps in a few hours. the fighting back with whatever small guns they have and molotov cocktails to make and he says he is ready to die. president obama promising to hold gadhafi accountable and says the u.s. will not act alone. how much longer will the killing continue before the international community steps in? fighting in zawiya, west of tripoli. and two men about the options of the risks and new disturbing images of egypt alleging proof of torture, the highest levels of the egyptian government at the top of the hour, piers. >> thank you very much. i'm back with howie mandel. >> enough about libya and gadhafi. you got howie. >> the big news. >> yes. there you go. >> we were talking about the slightly warped news values like charlie sheen and the showbiz shows and so on. is it warped? what life's like these days? >> sad statement on humanity and we all love a train wreck. you know? and that's basically what it is. it is sad. i heard lea mention before. i'm a parent and i look at him and think, this must be torturous for his family and family and the people that love him. horrible for the children. but the fact that we and i -- you're in television and the business. we have to show talk about it. show clips and mesmerized it. >> you have a dark sense of humor which i love and see it a lot on the show. >> yes. >> do you find any of what charlie's doing funny? a dark way? >> in the beginning i thought funny. winner. duh. all that. but now, it seems to be getting a little more tragic because i didn't know the extent 0 of what his issues were and the problem was and i thought that ultimately the two sides would come together. be back on the show and now, you know, it is just falling apart and watching somebody that could possibly die. you know? that's a horror show and that's not something i want to be a party to and, you know, here i am sitting and talking about it but that's because you asked. >> of course, of course. >> but the thing is, it's actually horrible but by the same token driving home on the freeway and we see an accident on the other side, it causes a traffic jam going the other way because everybody slows down but god forguide seeing the blood and guts and horror. >> you have been in the business 30 years now? >> more than 30 years. >> been one of america's most successful xheed yanls. >> loved by millions. you will see. you will see. >> waiting to see them. >> yes. >> but how have you avoided this? very happily married, have been a long time. delightful children. you're remarkably growned for a celebrity. i've discovered that through knowing you away from the fun and games of what we do. what is the secret? how do you do it? >> the secret? >> how do you avoid going off the rails. >> money and fame is never an issue because i found money and fame late in life. it wasn't something i aspired t retail and i fell into this. this all seems kind of silly in a people would put importance on the fact that you pretend, you know? for a living. i'm fascinated by even the nights at the academy awards, the biggest night in television, there are things in some de tore um that one should use in front of people who pretend for a living. it's not -- not that i don't respect their work, but we're in a wacky business. so understanding that, you know, my daughter's a teacher, she teaches in the innercity. nobody stops her on the street and tells her they love her work, and -- that's really important. >> you go to extraordinary lengths. how many shows do you do a year? >> i still do 200 live shows a year. >> all around america? >> america, britain, canada. >> you have a jet -- you're there and back usually the same day. >> yeah, i don't have a jet, but i lease something, yes. >> you have this great friend who's your manager. >> yes. >> and for 18 years. >> my manager, actually, i've known for over 50 years. >> rich is your road manager. you fly all around america? >> right. >> but you like to come back, don't you? >> i need to be home. i need to get my medication. that's what keeps me sane. >> is it also because -- >> you know, i have ocd, i'm a little nutty. >> we're going to come to that. it's also because you want to get back to your wife and family. >> it's all it's about. i do very well as a standup, but when you pay me a check, you're not paying me to do my show. you're paying me to leave my house, get on an airplane, maybe stay in a hotel and come back. the moment that somebody says ladies and gentleman, howie mandel, that's free. i can't believe you're paying me for something i've gotten in trouble for my whole life. i can't believe i'm getting paid to work with you. >> i know, it's -- i thank my lucky stars every day, the fact that i get to irritate you. you know that my real drive this year is to drive you over the edge? i love to irritate -- >> how do you torture piers. >> who got you on twitter? >> you did. >> i did. and how many -- >> you have many more, because you have a show, and right now i can see it says@piersmorgan. what about@howieandmandel. i see your blackberry, it's by your foot. mine's in another room. >> we have a short break, when we come back -- >> because you have to tweet something. there's not even a spoonser for this show. >> i may be weird with my addiction to twitter, you're just weird in general. home to the lateste depadeal making technology. our highly advanced thingamajigs and whatchamacallits are constantly gathering intelligence on the best deals for you. with name your own price, they're yours for up to 60% off. but we're always looking to improve. for instance, what does this have to do with finding hotel deals? we're not sure. yet. to london starts with arthritis pain... and a choice. take tylenol now, and maybe up to 8 in a day. or...choose aleve and 2 pills for a day free of pain. enjoy the flight. and here's what we did today: we put almost three million americans to work... ...adding nearly 400 billion dollars to the economy. generated over two and a half million kilowatts of electricity... ...enough energy to power a quarter of america. we gave your kids a cleaner ride to school. kept the lights on during a calm day at the wind farm. heated 57 million u.s. homes. simmered grandma's chicken noodle soup. melted tons of recycled glass. roasted millions of coffee beans. provided electricity for nearly 29 million home computers. heated your bathwater. cooked your takeout. lit your way home. we helped america import less of its energy. cleared the air by burning cleaner than other fuel sources, with less pollutants and no mercury. and tomorrow, we could do even more. we're cleaner, domestic, abundant and ready now. we're america's natural gas. the smarter power today. learn more at anga.us. back now with my friend howie mandel. you are special to me. when i heard about your germ phobia, i thought it was a joke. >> right. >> we met for a dinner. i went to shake your hand and you wouldn't. i realized this wasn't a joke. >> this is something i've been afflicted with all my life. that's just one small piece of it, i talk about it all the time. i have ocd, so, you know, that's just one issue. one little issue. i have many more issues. that's why i kind of -- not to bring it back to charlie sheen, but i empathize with someone like charlie, because addiction is a mental health issue. i'm a proponent of getting help and having people around you to deal with it. i have a great team. >> how do you have to lead your life, given the condition that you have? >> first and foremost, i have a loving family, my wife is a saint. we've been together for over 30 years, and i have a great therapist and psychiatrist and medication. >> and it really is. it's a full time thing for you? >> it's who i am. i wish it wasn't, but it's who i am, i'm thrilled is that i have coping skills and i'm out. you know, the fact that i'm here talking to you, and i know that you're not well -- >> i have a cold. >> yes, i know. >> i was going to try to sneeze on you. >> i know people make jokes about that. and i read your tweets yesterday that you were going to touch me, kiss me, and -- >> lick the back of your neck. >> you have no idea that it's really torture to people. >> i've seen on you on "america's got talent" you walk out in these big crowds of 3,000, 4,000 people. for you, it's like hell on earth. i saw someone try to grab your head the other day. >> they mauled me. >> it's not a joke. >> it is, because the dichotomy is, i'm a comedian. or -- you know, some people think i'm a comedian, and because i use humor, and i talk about this in the context of humor, people think like you did, like even to tweet about it, but somebody said that they were addicted, they wouldn't say when he gets here i'm going to serve him drinks. they wouldn't say, if they were a schizophrenic, they wouldn't play with those issues. the fact that i'm a comedian and i have germ issues, everyone wants to make that part of their fun. i get it, i'm out, i zeal with it. don't feel bad for me. i'm doing great. >> you have a special coming up on fox, which i know is going to be fascinating. >> yeah, it's a big thing. i was fascinated by -- on march 31st, right after idol, i'm doing this -- a show called mobbed, we do giant flash mobs. thousands of people, but for a purpose. if you have a secret, you want to tell somebody, you want to tell your family you're coming out of the closet, and you're gay, you want to fire somebody, marry somebody. we bring them to a public place and design this huge musical. you never know how the people are going to react. it's really exciting besides seeing the musical. >> when does it air? >> right after american idol, thursday, march 31st on fox. >> you being annoying to people? >> not me. i prod