Joe Manganiello filed for divorce from Sofía Vergara in July after 7 years of marriage
Howie Mandel wants to play matchmaker for Sofía Vergara!
“I think she’s great for everyone,” Mandel tells PEOPLE at the Visionary Ball in Beverly Hills, Wednesday. “I love Sofía Vergara. I find her incredibly, first, in no particular order, beautiful, smart, funny.”
Mandel, 67, adds that his fellow America’s Got Talent judge, 51, “deserves to be with somebody ASAP,” following her split from her husband Joe Manganiello in July.
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The comedian adds that he is not subtle in his attempts to find Vergara a new love interest. “I scream it from the rooftops,” he says. “Sometimes people think that’s inappropriate, other people, not Sofía. She doesn’t get mad at me.”
Mandel also adds that he’s going to put the mom of one, “on [online dating service] JDate.”
During an August episode of America’s Got Talent, Mandel joked that Vergara was single and on “the market” after ventriloquist Brynn Cummings performed an act that saw Heidi Klum get “set up” with an eligible bachelor puppet.
“I have one more piece of advice for you: if you’re looking for eligible bachelors, you should’ve talked to Sofía because she’s in the market right now,” the star told the contestant, with Vergara cheering in response.
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After receiving some backlash for his joke, Mandel explained to Extra that his costar didn’t need his help in the romance department and that “everybody watching who is available believes they’re the perfect match for Sofía.”
He also added that it was “never too soon” to start dating. “I think as soon as you’re available, it’s never too soon. She’s fresh, people.”
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Magic Mike actor Manganiello, 46, cited “irreconcilable differences” when he filed for divorce from Modern Family actress Vergara in July according to divorce documents obtained by PEOPLE.
Manganiello listed the date of separation as July 2 and noted the pair had a prenup.
A source previously told PEOPLE that the the former couple had different ways of dealing with fame as well as opposing personal interests.
They “differ immensely in style and what they like to do, although during the marriage, each tried to put the other’s interests ahead of their own to make it work,” the source said.
