Bankrate: What's the appeal of hosting this show for you?

Howie Mandel: I've never been in a forum before where I can just be me. If you see me in a comedy special -- obviously that's me, that sense of humor, that's who I am on stage -- but at a comedy concert, I have to constantly have something entertaining to say. Here, I don't always have to be funny. There's no pressure. People come up to me and say, "You felt bad last night," and I really did. It's so weird for me. That's the hardest part, being almost naked and showing my true colors. That's the biggest issue I have, and the toughest part of the game.

Bankrate: Why do you think it's been such an incredible hit?

Howie Mandel: I think what works for it is the relatability. You probably relate to the contestants and what their hopes and dreams are, but even if you don't, you relate to the amount of money and what you would do with it. Or, to how they're playing the game versus how you would play it.

People tell me they were screaming at the television because they were so angry that a person turned down the money. It's very interactive. Any other game that may have some trivia in it ... for me personally, for example, I have no talent in geography. If someone gets a geography question in any other game, I'm out of it. Or if you have to eat five worms, I wouldn't eat the worms. With this show, I'll watch it when it airs and go, oh my god, why is he going one more time? That's why I have people 4 years old and 84 years old coming up to me, because even kids get the odds and the numbers, and it's fun to search for that one case -- the treasure hunt for the million dollars.

Bankrate: What do you say to those contestants who bite off more than they can chew, and go home virtually empty-handed for it?

Howie Mandel: That I understand it. I wouldn't do it, but I do understand it. People who go too far and go all the way, what they'll think is, I got a 1-in-26 shot at hitting a million dollars. Even if you have three cases to open and someone's offered you $100,000, the million dollars is still up there. So I understand why people go in. If it's a million, 10 dollars, five dollars and one dollar -- four cases left -- and you have three cases to open and one of them has a million dollars, I would never go for it. I would take the money that was offered. Because if you don't get the million, the most you can go home with is ten dollars. But from their point of view, you have a one-in-four chance of having a million dollars. And you know what? That "go for it" attitude is what made this country great. No pain, no gain. No risk, no reward.

Bankrate: Now that the show's a hit, I'm guessing your fears about it hurting your stand-up comedy business were unfounded.

Howie Mandel: Yes. In fact, more people wanna come and pay money and see me do what I do.