Howie Mandel says America's Got Talent filmed 95% of auditions in front of an audience before the pandemic, while the rest were shot remotely

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The germophobic comedian and longtime obsessive-compulsive disorder sufferer says of the coronavirus: “I live freaked out. This is what is in my head each and every day, every hour of my 64 years on earth. This is it. This is my nightmare, this is how I live and now the world has joined me in my nightmare." Mandel adds that after AGT had to halt taping due to the coronavirus shutdown in mid-March, the show eventually began judging contestants remotely while they performed in their kitchens and backyards. “I just think this is a great fun escape that isn’t about the crisis,” Mandel says of the show, “and this is needed more than ever. This is the panacea for this crisis.” ALSO: Sofia Vergara makes her AGT debut.