Nick Cannon's Masked Singer Replacement Revealed
In early 2021, Nick Cannon joined the list of celebrities who have tested positive for COVID-19. On Feb. 3, 2021, news broke that Cannon had contracted the virus and would be temporarily stepping down from hosting Fox's hit entertainment show The Masked Singer until he recovers, per Variety. The diagnosis comes ahead of Season 5 of The Masked Singer, which Cannon has been hosting since 2019.
According to Variety, the celebrity musical guessing game "has maintained tight COVID protocols," and production for Season 5 is set to begin on Feb. 4, 2021. This means Cannon will definitely miss at least a few of the show's first episodes. Alongside Cannon, The Masked Singer stars Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger, and Jenny McCarthy, who are all judges of the top-secret singing competition.
So, who will be replacing Cannon on The Masked Singer's fifth season (at least, temporarily) as he recovers from the coronavirus? We have all the details below.
Niecy Nash will fill in for Nick Cannon on 'The Masked Singer'
Actress and comedian Niecy Nash will be stepping in for Nick Cannon on The Masked Singer as he recovers from COVID-19. Variety was first to report the news, revealing, "Nash will take over as guest host as production begins [Feb. 4, 2021] on Season 5 of The Masked Singer, and until Cannon is ready to get back to work." A rep for Cannon told the outlet that he was in quarantine and resting. Per Variety, "Fox expects Cannon to return to the series later in the season."
It seems that Nash is the perfect choice for the role as she has ties to the show. USA Today reports, "The Masked Singer should be in good hands until [Cannon recovers]. Nash previously served as a guest panelist on the show [during Season 4], which crowned LeAnn Rimes as champion in December [2020]." It's also worth noting that Nash has appeared on another Fox mystery-based singing show, I Can See Your Voice.
We're hoping for a speedy recovery for Cannon and also the very best for Nash as she takes on this temporary gig.