NEW YORK – Multihyphenate entertainer Nick Cannon has as many kids as Taylor Swift albums. But the father of 12 children does not take vacations.
“I love what I do, so every time I have a gig, I consider it a vacation for me,” Cannon, 45, told USA TODAY from the set of the “We Playin’ Spades” podcast. Cannon typically records in Los Angeles, but is currently preparing to record the show from the Bronx, New York. “My personal life is always busy, so being on set can sometimes be the most peaceful part of my day.”
“We Play in Spades,” which Cannon co-hosts with comedian Courtney Bee, is one of two shows Cannon hosts on the podcast network Wonderly. The second, “Nick Cannon @ Night,” is the host’s twist on the late-night TV format. The show is recorded in a swanky restaurant in Hollywood and features experts giving callers advice on love, sex and relationships.
Between Paramount’s cancellation of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and Disney’s suspension of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” late-night TV shows have been the talk of the town.
“I don’t think any format is obsolete,” Cannon says. “Are we going to have a major company backing us? Maybe. Do we need it? No. I think people always want to be entertained and always want to be informed. And if you have the talent to do that at a high level, the audience will turn out in droves.”
Mr. Cannon previously served as an executive at TeenNick, a Nickelodeon spinoff channel focused on teens owned by Paramount. He’s still working with Paramount on the long-running show “Wild ‘n Out,” which currently airs on VH1, but his experience on both sides of the microphone informs how he views the dynamics of content creation.
“If you look at how the advertising business is changing before our eyes, especially now with the advent of AI, within the next two years we won’t even be able to recognize what we used to call television,” he predicts. “The power of AI is going to change so many things that we’re going to have to figure out, ‘How can we still entertain, how can we still stay informed, how can we still stay authentic?'”
Nick Cannon reveals how he was diagnosed with narcissistic ‘disorder’
In addition to the aforementioned gigs, Cannon hosts a show called “Counsel Culture” that delves deeper into social and political realms. His experience on the show was revelatory.
“We realized there were a lot of things that we probably needed to check out,” Cannon says. He sought out Dr. Daniel Amen, a psychologist who specializes in brain diseases. “I thought if I went to get a brain scan, I would be a genius. My brain would be extraordinary. It was just the opposite.”
Cannon also said he has been called a “narcissist” in various relationships. So he went to see another psychologist and underwent several weeks of “intensive” testing. A month later, the results revealed that Cannon was “definitely” a narcissist, but it also helped him redefine the meaning of the word.
“Another thing[doctors]share with me is that they believe one in three people is a narcissist,” he continued, noting that according to psychologists, narcissism is determined on a spectrum rather than a “yes or no.” “[The word]is embedded in our heads as a negative thing, but some of our greatest people have such a strong sense of self-worth and entitlement in certain areas that they believe they are the best at whatever they do.”
Cannon has learned that lack of empathy and anger in relationships are polar opposites. The host said he had not been diagnosed with either trait. But it was Cannon’s relationship with her children that motivated her to continue on this multi-year health journey.
“People want to come from a place of peace, love, and complete understanding, but they have to work on themselves to get there,” Cannon explains. “At least for me, I feel very humbled by my children. I feel like my children have made me much better in counseling, therapy, and even my own physical health.”
Nick Cannon reveals ‘very expensive traditions’ with his kids
Cannon said his podcast, “We Playin’ Spades,” is a place for “comedic jousting” similar to what people have come to expect from “Wild ‘n Out.” And he set the tone from the start, introducing himself with a number of nicknames, including “Mr. A Lot of Kids” and “Pastor Dressy Jackson.” Cannon said he has used self-deprecating humor ever since he started doing stand-up comedy as a teenager.
“I don’t know any other kind of comedy,” he continues. “But over the years, I beat everyone so thoroughly that it was very therapeutic.”
Cannon even joked about this “very expensive tradition” that she started with her own children. Every year, everyone celebrates their birthday at Disneyland. Of his 12 children, 5 were born between September and December. Cannon says he’s “probably at Disneyland more than anyone else” during that time.
During this period, Cannon also celebrated his own birthday. He turns 45 on October 8th.
“I think 45 years old for our generation is a little different than 45 years old for our parents and grandparents,” Cannon says. “You’re as young as you feel and I feel so good.”
