Nick Cannon Pulls Double Duty

Nick Cannon is enjoying one of those rare, euphoric personal-life and professional-career highs that few entertainers get to enjoy nowadays. He and his pop superstar wife, Mariah Carey, are eagerly expecting twins (any day), and the 30-year-old is back for the “the greatest summer job I’ve ever had in my life” as host for season six of America’s Got Talent.

Cannon believes the AGT  franchise is gaining vitality with age. “The young [contestants] are really excited about the opportunity, especially this season, season six,” he says. “It’s all about fun and high energy.” But the upcoming role of dad is one that Cannon has been simultaneously anticipating and preparing for. He and Carey’s helpful celebrity friends have been showering the expectant parents with the best gifts, “Denzel [Washington] and Pauletta gave us some amazing books, and Jay-Z and Beyoncé gave us a cool dinette baby tea set with table and chairs.”

And thanks to Cannon’s upbringing in a large blended and extended family, Carey can relish in the fact that her spouse is already an expert with kids. “I’ve had no parenting classes,” brags Cannon. “My grandmother raised me and she raised like 30 foster children so that was my parenting class right there. I know how to change diapers. I have four little brothers and tons of foster brothers and sisters. I’ve been changing diapers all my life.”

The Drumline star also wants to put to rest the rumors surrounding the expectant family photos his wife leaked to the press and his reportedly lukewarm feelings about them. “Those pictures were actual private pictures. They’re like regular pictures taken with a regular camera. My wife wanted to put them out for her fans but it wasn’t a photo shoot,” says Cannon. “I personally was like, ‘The ones where my ass is out, don’t put those out!’ But I guess people embraced them. Those were pictures [taken] out of love and passion that we wanted to share with the world. I feel good about them."

In addition to becoming a dad, Cannon, whose been doing standup since he was a preteen, will be officially adding comedian to his already growing work moniker when his Showtime special, Nick Cannon: Mr. Showbiz, airs on May 14. “I’m so excited about it. It’s a dream come true,” he says. "This is the first time people will hear me voice my opinion about everything from Internet beef to being married to one of the famous people in the world to life itself. It will be amazing."

(Photo: Diane Bondareff/PictureGroup)