Why did Fox cancel New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022?

Every New Year’s holiday, the block of programming is filled with specials dedicated to ushering in the new year.

While ringing in 2022, the slew of live broadcasts that were originally planned will not air due to public health concerns.

Why did Fox cancel New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022?

On Tuesday, December 21, Fox announced the change in their scheduled programming for New Year’s Eve due to Omicron sweeping the nation.

The company released a press statement, which said: “While we are confident in the health and safety protocols for ‘Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022, the recent velocity of the spread of omicron cases has made it impossible to produce a live special in Times Square that meets our standards.”

They continued: “We will not be moving forward with ‘Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022’ in New York.”

Fox explained further: “The health and safety of our casts and crews has always been, and will continue to be, of the utmost importance.”

“Replacement programming for New Year’s Eve on Fox will be announced in the coming days,” the network concluded.

Who was hosting New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022?

Comedy actors Joel McHale and Ken Jeong were set to host the annual special.

Also taking part in hosting the festivities was Kelly Osbourne.

In place of their initial plans, Fox insiders told Variety that the network allegedly plans on moving forth with a stripped down version of the holiday special.

If Fox moves forward with their health conscious version of New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast, viewers can expect a similar format to last year’s broadcast.

Who was set to perform for New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast?

Along with McHale, Jeong, and Osbourne anchoring the holiday special, there were several musical guests slated to perform.

P!nk, Imagine Dragons, Billy Idol, and Maroon 5 were all slated to take the stage and celebrate the new year.

It is not confirmed whether any of the acts mentioned will stay on the billing if Fox decides to do a Covid conscious format for their New Year’s special.

Other networks such as ABC, NBC, and CBS have not declared the cancellation of their New Year’s Eve telecasts.