Jerry Seinfeld is walking back his pointed comments about Howard Stern being “outflanked” by the podcast industry.
“I really feel bad for what I said about my friend Howard Stern in a conversation with David Spade and Dana Carvey, talking about the glut of comedy podcasts,” Seinfeld said in a statement shared with People on Thursday. “I meant to say he must feel surrounded but I said ‘outflanked’ which sounded terrible and insulting.”
“And of course, none of these little shows are any threat to his giant show,” he added. “Anyway, it was bad and I’m sorry, Howie. I still love you. Please forgive me.”
The comedian’s apology comes after he made comments directed at Stern, including suggesting that the longtime talk radio host lacks “comedy chops,” in an episode of David Spade and Dana Carvey’s “Fly on the Wall” podcast released Wednesday.
While weighing in on the rise in podcast culture, Seinfeld claimed that Stern pretty much “invented” the format before speaking more critically of the media personality. Stern, who doesn’t have a podcast, leads “The Howard Stern Show” on SiriusXM, which includes comedic bits and interviews with celebrities.
“Howard Stern invented this, right?” he said. “But we’re better than him now. Because Howard is interesting. Howard is a great interviewer. But you know, comedy chops — I mean, can we speak candidly?”
Seinfeld then claimed that Stern has “been outflanked” by other talented podcasters in the industry, before praising Spade and Carvey’s podcast as “the best [comedy podcast] on the air.”
“Let’s face it, he’s been outflanked by some very — and yourselves — I would say, absolutely, this show, comedy podcasts? This is the best one on the air,” he said. “Because you guys play nice together, it’s smooth, you’re not jumping on each other, which is annoying to listen to.”
Reps for Seinfeld and Stern didn’t immediately respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.
Listen to the full “Fly on the Wall” episode below.