Here's the Real Reason Why Niecy Nash Left 'The Masked Singer'

The Season 5 premiere of The Masked Singer revealed that Nick Cannon tested positive for COVID-19 and would be temporarily replaced by celebrity guest host Niecy Nash.

During her time on the show, Niecy joined judges Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke, Nicole Scherzinger, and Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg to unmask several celebrities, but it appears that after revealing the identity of Bulldog, her time on the series has come to an end. Why did Niecy Nash leave The Masked Singer?

Shortly before The Masked Singer returned in March, showrunners revealed that Nick Cannon would be absent for the first half of Season 5 due to his novel coronavirus diagnosis. Although Niecy had a good run as host, her exit was always part of the plan.

Executive producer James Breen told Entertainment Tonight, "Nick rejoins towards the second half of the season. I won't be too specific about how many shows, but Niecy kicks things off." 

James shared, "We got incredibly lucky there because Niecy just stepped in pretty last minute. And immediately had her own chemistry with the panel. She was just a producer's dream. Absolutely fantastic."

Niecy was recently cast as Glenda Cleveland in Ryan Murphy’s Monster: The Jefferey Dahmer Story, which she began filming shortly after her time on The Masked Singer. She explained to Variety, “They called when a lot of the jobs were still shut down. And I was able to complete that work before I started work on Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”

According to Niecy, although her appearance on the series was last minute, she was equally elated for the opportunity to keep Nick’s seat warm in his absence. She shared, “I was like, ‘You had me at hello.’ Of course, my immediate thought was, ‘Is Nick Cannon OK?’ And after that I was like, I would love to. And then two days later, there I was.”

Niecy added, “It’s a really good time. I mean, it involves a lot of the things that I like: music, costumes, sequins, eyelashes, and comedy. All of my favorite things.”

Niecy’s departure comes shortly after judges unmasked Bulldog on the April 7 episode of The Masked Singer. So, who was it?

On April 7, viewers learned that the latest wildcard to join the competition was actually Nick Cannon, who thanked Niecy for filling in for him after performing his rendition of New Edition’s “Candy Girl.”

He shared, “Niecy, first and foremost, let me say I dedicated my performance to you because you truly are a queen. And you stepping in for me during my sickness and during a hard time for me, and being able to watch you do your thing amazingly and shine here. I truly do thank you.”

In an interview with ET, Niecy reciprocated Nick’s energy and thanked the team for their hospitality during her time on the show. "I was honored to stand in the gap and just be a tiny placeholder for him, for his franchise and his series. It was a great job."

Catch new episodes of The Masked Singer every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on FOX.