‘The Masked Singer’: Niecy Nash To Serve As Guest Host On Season 5 Of Fox Series After Nick Cannon Contracts Covid

The Masked Singer is getting a new host — temporarily, at least.

Niecy Nash will stand in for Nick Cannon fronting the first batch of episodes of the Fox competition reality series after the entertainer contracted Covid-19, Deadline has confirmed.

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This comes as production on Season 5 is set to start Thursday in Los Angeles. The show is set to return in March. Cannon is expected to return for later episodes once he recovers.

Nash has history with the network; she was a guest panelist on The Masked Singer last season and was a panelist on I Can See Your Voice, the network’s other mystery talent format, and has appeared in Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Scream Queens, The Bernie Mac Show and Family Guy.

Season 4 wrapped in December with LeAnn Rimes as the winner. That season featured 16 contestants, including the show’s first duet costume with Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black as the Snow Owls, the first with animatronic parts with Dr. Elvis Francois as the Serpent and the first puppet costume with Mark Sanchez as the Baby Alien.

Masked Singer was renewed in December. Variety broke the news.

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