Beat Shazam viewers who haven’t been watching the news were in for quite a surprise when they tuned into Tuesday’s Season 6 premiere.
For it was not Jamie Foxx who welcomed them to the “most outrageous, pulse-pounding, nerve-wracking, life-changing season ever,” but rather The Masked Singer‘s Nick Cannon, who is temporarily taking over hosting duties this time around.
“I know what you’re all thinking: That ain’t Jamie Foxx!” Cannon began. “And you are absolutely right. I’m actually Nick Cannon, and I’m honored that Jamie asked me to fill in for him. So make no mistake, this is Jamie Foxx’s house!”
That last line elicited thunderous applause from the studio audience, as Foxx continues to recover from an unspecified medical emergency that left him hospitalized and unable to host the season.
“He has hosted this show for five seasons and given away almost $12 million, y’all,” Cannon added. “It’s amazing. So I’m going to do my best to live up to Jamie’s Beat Shazam legacy.”
Cannon then pointed another change clear to anyone without facial blindness: “While Corinne is spending some daddy-daughter time with Jamie, it’s my pleasure to introduce our guest DJ, who actually need no introduction — it’s the incredible Kelly Osbourne!”
News of Cannon and Osbourne taking over hosting and DJ duties was announced by Fox earlier this month.
“Beat Shazam has been an unscripted mainstay on the Fox schedule for six seasons and counting,” the network’s statement said. “This season, not wanting fans of the game show to miss a minute of the fun, Nick Cannon has offered to fill in as guest host for his friends, Jamie and Corinne Foxx. Kelly will be filling in as guest DJ. Everyone at Fox Entertainment wishes Jamie well as he continues his recovery, and we greatly appreciate Nick’s willingness to jump in and help this summer.”
In other Fox/Foxx news, the network recently announced that Jamie and Corinne will co-host We Are Family, a new music-centric guessing game show set to premiere sometime in 2024.
Do you feel that Cannon and Osbourne lived up to the standards set by the Foxx duo? Grade their Beat Shazam debut in our poll below, then drop a comment with more of your thoughts.
This story originally appeared on TVLine
