Nicole Byer says she is not the tame comic you see on "Nailed It !"- "My comedy is not kid friendly," she told Insider.
- Byer also said she doesn't know if "Nailed It!" is coming back for a sixth season.
As the host of
At least that's what I learned while talking to Byer over the phone recently as she admitted that even five seasons into the show, she's stunned that her hosting style is beloved for its tameness - especially by children.
"My comedy is not kid friendly," Byer, 34, told Insider bluntly. "I'm edited that way."
On "Nailed It!," where she lovingly eats awfully-made baked disasters alongside a startled guest host and her partner in crime, famed chocolatier Jacques Torres, Byer exudes a loving (yet mischievous) persona that makes parents feel comfortable to let their kids watch her antics for hours on end.
But if you were ever to go to one of her comedy shows, or listen to her podcasts "Why Won't You Date Me?" and "Best Friends with Nicole Byer and Shasheer Zamata," the realization would come quick that Byer actually has a mature persona that kids should stay clear from.
In fact, Byer said some parents have learned that the hard way.
"People brought their kids to my comedy shows and rushed out when they heard me swear," Byer said with a devilish laugh. "It's really interesting."
The result: Byer's star has risen as she's now also hosting alongside John Cena on the latest version of "Wipeout" on TBS and starring in the upcoming NBC pilot, "Grand Crew."
Insider spoke with Byer about the jokes she's begging "Nailed It!" executives to leave in the show, the guest judge she's desperately trying to book, and why she's hosting "Wipeout" with a dislocated ankle.
Byer doesn't know if there will be a sixth season of 'Nailed It!'
Insider: Are you currently between seasons on "Nailed It!"?
Nicole Byer: Yeah, we only shoot for 13 days.
In this time, do you talk to the showrunners about ideas and jokes?
I don't really have anything to do in preproduction, but hopefully I will in the future if we come back.
Nicole, if Netflix stops making this show we're going to burn the place down.
[Laughs.] Well, thank you. I honestly don't know if we're coming back. I normally don't get involved until the show starts.
She really wants to talk to guests from inside a hamster ball
Is there a comedy bit you really want to do and they haven't given you the green light yet?
Yes. I want to be put in a hamster ball so I can go up and talk to the contestants. You know, there's a barrier, I'm safe. And they were like "No." I also pitched that I want to come out of the ceiling to be six feet away.
Wait, hanging up there for the entire episode?
No. Just to start the episode. It's not a thought out bit, but I think it would be funny. Again, they were like, "Nicole, no, we would have to get a stunt person [and] equipment." And listen, I feel both of these are evergreen! These aren't just COVID bits.
Byer had no clue drag queens were going to be on the show until she showed up on set
Now on the fifth season, you all tweaked it up a bit with having teams, but you also introduced my kids to drag as you had two drag queen contestants. Any fun highlights from doing that episode?
Forever I had asked [producers], "Can we please have drag queens on the show?" I love drag. I have been involved with drag for a very long time. When I was waitressing in New York 10 years ago, I waitressed in a drag show. So when it happened I was truly surprised.
I always get contestant bios before the show: their names, ages, pictures of them. And for those two, Selma Nilla and Lagoona Bloo, they had their real names and their pictures were out of drag.
And I know that a lot of kids watch the show and I think it's good for kids to be exposed to different types of people early in their lives. So when they are in high school or something they don't say awful things about someone.
When did you know the show was big?
When my comedy shows started selling out and people would start yelling at me "Nailed It!" I was like, oh, OK. And a lot of my friends will say, "My kids love you, will you make a video for them?" And I'm like, if you know me, I'll make the video. If you don't know me and are reaching out to my publicist, that's wiiilllld!"
Byer said her comedy is not kid friendly, she's 'edited that way'
Has it been weird to come to terms that kids love you? I mean, you're a mother figure to a lot of kids out there. Is that weird?
It has never been put like that before. Wow. It is strange because my comedy is not kid friendly.
But your popularity with kids, has that made you want to expand your brand at all and do something tame like a children's book?
No, because I don't know how. I don't do child-friendly stuff on the show. I'm edited that way.
So if we saw raw footage of a "Nailed It!" episode we would hear a lot of F-bombs and raunchy jokes from you?
Yeah. And Jacques is pretty dirty too.
So now before episodes when I come out, I tell the contestant that I work a little "blue," a little dirty. I tell them that's how I figure out the comedy and if you are offended let me know.
Have you ever experienced a contestant saying to you they are offended by what you said?
No, but I have said things and can see someone's reaction and I'm like, "Sorry, won't say that again."
Byer admitted you have never seen the real her on TV , but her podcasts show off what she really loves to talk about
Is the real Nicole on your podcasts?
The real Nicole is at her house and you'll never see that. [Laughs.] Whether it's a podcast or hosting, it's all performance. You're never going to get the real person in a performance. You may get vulnerabilities, but that's different than the real person. I would say though what I like to talk about is more on the podcast.
Is hosting "Wipeout" very different than doing "Nailed It!"?
"Wipeout" is super, super different. There's the day time stuff [when] we just do audio recordings. There's the Wipeout Zone stuff that me and John are actually there for. I had dislocated my ankle right before we started shooting and I like to move my body a lot, but I didn't want to reinjure myself so it was really hard to do.
How did you dislocate your ankle?
It's not even interesting, I fell down my stairs. I mean, I got into a motorcycle accident and I wasn't injured but then I take a tumble down the stairs and that gets me.
Hold on. So you were riding a motorcycle and fell off, but didn't injure yourself?
I was with my friend who had a motorcycle and I wanted to learn so we were in Griffith Park [in Los Angeles] and I felt I was getting the hang of it. I'm going around and I hear my friend say, "Diva, you're doing so well," but then I got up to a turn and was like, "I don't know how to do this," and ran right into a fence. And then I heard, "Diva, noooo!" I messed up the bike a little bit but I was fine.
So, no more motorcycles, right?
No, I went out and bought one.
[Laughs.] Nicole, be careful.
That's what everyone tells me after I tell that story.
She wants Beyoncé to be a guest judge on 'Nailed It!'
So give me the one guest you would love to get on one of your podcasts.
Ben Affleck. This Ben Affleck currently, who is a little thirsty for attention. He's always getting Dunkin' Donuts. He must have a deal with Dunkin' Donuts. I have questions. He has Dunkin' Donuts every day, like how? How? You have a deal with them and I want to talk about it. And then J.Lo, what the f---? It's so good.
And who is the big name you guys are going after as a guest judge on the show?
I want to know if Blue Ivy and Rumi and Sir, do they watch "Nailed It!" because I want Beyoncé. I have asked.