America's Got Talent has been in the headlines a lot lately following Nick Cannon saying he has exited the show. With no official NBC statement regarding whether Cannon has been replaced or not, there is still much that is up in the air related to the upcoming Season 12. There are still some months to go before the series premieres, but with a contract signed, it's possible that Nick Cannon could change his mind and attempt to return to the series. If he does, he at least has friend and coworker Howie Mandel in his corner. The stand-up comedian and judge on AGT recently said the following in regards to Nick Cannon's departure:
I'm doing my own campaign. I'm gonna look in the camera and say, 'Please Nick, come back.' He's gotta come back. I'm heartbroken. I want him back. Right now, it's in his court. Please, Nick. There's no better host on TV. I think it's up to him. If you want to come back, open arms, buddy.
This whole drama started when Nick Cannon learned NBC was on the verge of firing him after a joke he made during a Showtime special about the network. The joke in question involved Cannon implying the "N," in NBC represented a racial slur commonly used towards African Americans, and Cannon said he felt like he was losing his "black card," being on the network. After learning that NBC may have considered firing him over the joke, Cannon has since quit the series. Apparently, America's Got Talent host Howie Mandel doesn't think Cannon should leave the series, however. Mandel really seems to be in Cannon's corner, even telling TMZ the host is the "heart and soul," of the show:
He's the heart and soul of the show. He's a big part of the show. He's a counselor, he's a host, he drives it. I gotta say that I love him, and I think he's underrated.
Howie Mandel really seems to be on a mission, as the actor also appeared on The View last Friday defending Nick Cannon and empathizing with his situation. As a comedian, Mandel thinks that the entertainer he is on America's Got Talent is not the entertainer he is when he does stand up comedy. Mandel says NBC seems to understand that with himself, and the network should understand that with Nick Cannon. In addition to Mandel, America's Got Talent also had Howard Stern as a host, and anyone who listens to his show on Sirius XM knows the content can be on average as controversial as what Nick Cannon said.
Ultimately, Howie Mandel believes the ball is in Nick Cannon's court in relation to whether he will return to host America's Got Talent. Nick Cannon is still technically under contract, and NBC still has his picture on its website. Plus, the new Season 12 is not scheduled to air until summer. Will Nick Cannon come back? Mandel hopes so, and I'm curious as to who NBC is eyeing should they replace him as host. We're still a couple months out from that decision, so let's live in the now and see what awesome shows are returning on our midseason premiere guide! To see Howie's comments he made to The View, hop over to the next page.
