They say never to bite the hand that feeds you and that is doubly true if that hand belongs to a major broadcast network. You may be most familiar with Nick Cannon yucking it up on stage as the host of America's Got Talent, but the comedian almost got himself into some serious trouble for jokes he told on an entirely different stage. Cannon has an upcoming stand-up special where he apparently spends a little time making fun of NBC. The contents of the joke weren't exactly in the Peacock's favor and apparently, the network considered firing Cannon for the joke.
In an upcoming stand-up special airing on Showtime, Nick Cannon made a joke about NBC that nearly cost him his job. In the joke, Cannon said NBC was making him "lose his black card" as the host of America's Got Talent, implying that the network was trying to control his personality. Add the racial factor to it, and that's a nightmare for NBC. After getting wind of the joke when Cannon talked about it on The Howard Stern Show, insiders told TMZ that NBC considered the comment as a violation of Cannon's contract. He isn't allowed to talk about the network without approval -- especially in a negative way. Apparently, they very seriously considered firing Cannon over the issue.
NBC, however, let cooler heads prevail and decided that the joke was just that: a joke. The network reportedly likes Cannon and didn't want to hurt their relationship with him. The host of America's Got Talent will continue his duties when the show begins filming again next month. As it stands now, the joke is currently still in Cannon's stand-up special, which is airing on Showtime Friday night.
It'll probably be decided that NBC made the right call in dropping the issue altogether. Sometimes, a joke is just a joke and you have to move on from it. When asked by Howard Stern if he was worried when he came up with the material, Cannon said that he wasn't and joked that he could create a whole controversy out of it if NBC reacted. It's debatable if it was smart of Cannon to even make fun of NBC in the first place, but you'd have to watch his special to see how the moment plays out to really judge it.
Nick Cannon has been the host of America's Got Talent since 2009. He brings a good amount of levity to the show, breaking the awkwardness of bad acts with a zinger or helping the passing contestants to celebrate. He's become a solid piece of a show with very many moving parts, and it makes sense that NBC wouldn't want to begin the search for someone new.
America's Got Talent is currently auditioning for Season 12 with Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Mel B, and Howie Mandel returning as judges. Season 12 premieres in 2017 and for more TV premieres, make sure to check out our 2017 midseason TV guide.
