Howie Mandel avoids handshakes since he's a germaphobe and suffers from OCD. A germaphobe is an individual with an extreme, disproportionate fear of germs. In 2024, Mandel shared a photo on Facebook where he can be seen touching Sofia Vergara's feet. In the caption, he jokes,"I'll do anything to not shake hands."The comedian who has been public about his battle with OCD, stood behind a plexiglass and wore gloves to shake hands with Sophie Rain. After the image went viral on the internet, social media users ridiculed Rain for still going through with the handshake and wondered if she was not offended by Mandel's actions.More about Howie Mandel's OCD condition?While speaking to US Weekly in December, 2025, the comedian mentioned that he doesn't remember a time when he didn't experience OCD,'I don’t remember not experiencing OCD. I can't tell you how many people in the course of a week will come up to me and say, ‘I have a little bit of that.’ Well, you don’t have a little bit of OCD."He went on to explain how people may experience OCD differently,"People interpret OCD as being persnickety or being really neat or fastidious, that is not OCD. OCD is a nightmare if you are diagnosed with it… and a lot of people have it and are misdiagnosed.”While opening about his famous no-handshake rule, Mandel said that there are people who insist that their hands aren't dirty to convince Mandel into shaking them, however, the comedian explains that it's not that simple,"For me, it’s about getting triggered into thinking there’s something on my hand, and then being stuck at a sink, scalding my hand for the next 12 hours. Not being able to carry on life (as a) husband, father and provider. I can’t show up, and my life stops. I'm in this nightmare where I think terrible things are going to happen."Howie Mandel mentioned that intellectually he realizes that terrible things may occur, and that he can't control his dark thoughts. He also explained that he is compelled to do a ritual to quell his thoughts which drives him nuts, and makes him unable to function. Mandel has been a partner of NOCD, a company that provides video-based therapy since 2022. Howie Mandel had also mentioned that his germaphobe symptoms intensified when he resumed the stage after the COVID-19, and that the pandemic doubled his issues.