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Joan Rivers Remembered as a ''One-of-a-Kind,'' ''Extraordinary Woman'' by Howie Mandel and Howard Stern

Exclusive video of Stern and Mandel honoring the late comic

By Brett Malec Sep 18, 2014 6:53 PMTags
Watch: How Joan Rivers Gave Howie Mandel His Big Break

Howie Mandel and Howard Stern are remembering Joan Rivers.

At last night's America's Got Talent finale, the reality TV co-stars paid tribute to the late comic legend.

"Joan Rivers gave me my biggest break in my career," Mandel told E! News exclusively. "As far as she put me on The Tonight Show, which was the biggest boost I've ever had in my career. Not only that, whenever I needed her she was a great friend."

Most recently, Rivers appeared on Mandel's show Deal With It, but it was just her work ethic that Mandel looked up to.

Watch: Howard Stern Praises Unapologetic Joan Rivers

"She inspired me personally and professionally," he said. "Professionally, her work ethic was amazing. She showed up and she had her A-game all the time. Her interaction with Melissa and Cooper are amazing. I just became a grandparent myself and she's always in my thoughts—the way she doted on her grandchild. I've only been a grandfather for a week and I hope that I can be a fraction of the grandparent that Joan was."

Stern added, "Joan was a one-of-a-kind, an extraordinary woman. I loved her. I loved her and I miss her and I think the world will miss her. She was an original, she was unafraid, she never apologized. My kind of woman."

Watch the video to find out what Stern said about speaking at Rivers' emotional funeral.

—Reporting by Vanessa McDonald