Fox scraps New Year's Eve Toast & Roast 2022 over Omicron surge

The Hollywood Reporter

The network decided late Tuesday to cancel its second-annual Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022, hosted by Ken Jeong and Joel McHale, due to the recent surge in Omicron cases. “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,” the network said in a statement. "We will not be moving forward with Fox’s New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022 in New York. 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 news comes after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed uncertainty over having the in-person Times Square ball-drop. “We’re going to make a decision before Christmas,” he said during a press briefing. Fox’s Toast & Roast was scheduled to feature performances from Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5, Billy Idol, Pink and Trace Adkins.