Nick Cannon Returning to ViacomCBS as Wild 'N Out Host After Apologizing for Anti-Semitic Comments

Nick Cannon will reunite with ViacomCBS, home of his long-running improv series Wild 'N Out, after apologizing for anti-Semitic comments that got him fired from the network last year, PEOPLE confirms.

Wild 'N Out, which VH1 had picked up for three more seasons prior to Cannon's controversy in July, will resume production after the TV host, 40, took responsibility for his comments and made an effort to educate himself by partnering with Jewish leaders.

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"Nick has not only apologized and taken responsibility for his comments, but he has also worked to educate himself and others through engagement with Jewish leaders and on his platforms," a spokesperson for MTV Entertainment Group told PEOPLE in a statement. "Those efforts are of the utmost importance and that's why we have invited him to rejoin our team. On a separate note, we just learned that he tested positive for COVID and have reached out to wish him a speedy recovery."

Cannon met regularly with Jewish leaders, such as the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, American Jewish Committee's Rabbi Noam E. Marans and senior leadership at the Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance, which he also toured. The actor and comedian additionally called for unity in an op-ed he co-wrote with Greenblatt, pledged to donate his first paycheck from The Masked Singer season 4 to the Wiesenthal Center and addressed the situation with Cooper and Greenblatt during an MTV Entertainment Group Town Hall that focused on "Courageous Conversations."

"I want to assure my Jewish friends, new and old, that this is only the beginning of my education — I am committed to deeper connections, more profound learning and strengthening the bond between our two cultures today and every day going forward," Cannon said in a statement.

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ViacomCBS initially fired the father of four last summer following statements on his Cannon's Class YouTube series that received widespread online backlash for being anti-Semitic.

Cannon posted a lengthy response on Facebook at the time, saying he felt "deeply saddened" by the decision of his longtime employer.

Fox kept Cannon on as host of The Masked Singer and he returned for season 4, which aired in the fall. He'll be back for season 5 as well, but only after he recovers from COVID-19.

Fox confirmed earlier this week that because Cannon tested positive for the virus, he won't be able to host the new season that began production on Thursday. Actress Niecy Nash, who appeared on the singing competition as a guest judge last season, will stand in for Cannon until he can return to set.

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