Even Nick Cannon can't help but poke fun at his legion of pals.
Speaking exclusively to Page Six at Fox Fall Press Day in Los Angeles earlier this month, the TV host likened “The Masked Singer,” now in its 12th season, to him becoming a father to 12 children.
“[Twelve seasons]”Right? Twelve of us,” Cannon, who serves as a judge on the hit reality singing competition series, began. “And the same number of kids!”
Cannon, 43, has 13-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, with ex-wife Mariah Carey.
He is also father to 7-year-old Golden, 3-year-old Powerful Queen, and 1-year-old Rise with Brittany Bell, 3-year-old twins Zion and Zillion and 1-year-old Beautiful with Abby de la Rosa, 2-year-old Legendary with Bre Tiesi, 2-year-old Onyx with Laneesha Cole and 1-year-old Halo with Alyssa Scott.
The “Wild 'N Out” star and Scott were also parents to son Zen, who tragically died in 2021 at just five months old from brain cancer.
During a wide-ranging interview with Page Six, Cannon at one point opened up about co-parenting her now-teenage children with Carey — Cannon's eldest son, Moroccan, and oldest daughter, Monroe, turned 13 on April 30.
“It's the scariest thing in the world. My daughter is wearing makeup right now,” he said of Monroe. “Luckily she doesn't wear a lot of makeup, but it scared me. I was getting ready to go out, we were going to dinner in Malibu, and I was like, 'Why is she taking so long?'”
“I went into her room and she literally had her hair and makeup and everything still there,” he continued. “I was like, 'Wow, she looks just like my mom.' It was beautiful to look at, but scary at the same time.”
Cannon also spoke about how his “genius” son, Golden, with Bell, is adjusting to starting fourth grade at just 7 years old.
“It's amazing — he's very good academically, but he's also an athlete, so being smaller can actually be a hindrance,” he said. “He's a very good basketball player, he's actually playing at a high level in basketball, but if he actually played against kids his age, he'd be really crushing.”
He added: “I will continue to support him in his academics, but I also know how much he loves sports, so we'll see what happens. I'm sure he'll make the right decision. He's a genius!”
As for the new season of “The Masked Singer,” Cannon teased that it will be the “most competitive season” yet, as a new batch of contestants will compete in disguise.
Costumes this season include a buffalo, leaf sheep, show bird, woodpecker and ship.
“I say that because the level of talent is so high,” Cannon explained, “I mean, anyone can win! It's really at that level and everyone is super talented. A-level talent.”
Cannon said the season will feature “more clues than ever before,” with hints hidden in all-new places.
Plus, for the first time in the show's history, contestants will have “mask ambassadors” — former celebrity ambassadors who will offer even more clues about who is under each mask.
This season's contestants will be introduced and endorsed by connected “ambassadors,” such as Jewel (Season 6), Dick Van Dyke (Season 9), Ne-Yo (Season 10), and DeMarcus Ware (Season 11).
“I think [the clues] “They're more in your face because we now have ambassadors who are connected to the singers and they give you hints as to how you know them,” he teased.
“At least for me, they're just there. So this season, absolutely Find out who is under the mask.”
Rita Ora, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg and Robin Thicke will return as panelists for “The Masked Singer” season 12, which premieres Wednesday, September 25 at 8pm ET on Fox.
