Nick Lachey hosts “Big Morning Buzz” on VH1, premiering Monday and airing weekdays at 10 a.m.
Credit: Miller Mobley
Life’s coming full circle for Nick Lachey right now. The singer and TV personality’s new hosting gig for VH1’s “Big Morning Buzz” brings him back to the old “TRL” studios where both he and his wife Vanessa have done many a taping — Lachey as a solo artist and with his band 98 Degrees, and Vanessa as a “TRL” host from 2003 to 2007.
“It’s so surreal to be in there,” Lachey says of the Times Square studio. “To be looking at that same view, it’s very cool. There’s such an energy to the space and to Times Square in general that it’s contagious. It’ll definitely be reflected in the show.”
The gig means Lachey, his wife and their 18-month-old son Camden have moved to New York for the next 15 weeks. “You definitely get less bang for your buck square footage-wise than in L.A.,” he says, “but at the same time New York has so much to offer. We’re looking forward to the whole experience of being here and sharing it with Camden.”
As he steps into the role of interviewer for the pop culture morning show, taking over for previous host Carrie Keagan, Lachey says the best advice his wife gave him was to “just be yourself.”
“When you’re doing a show like this and you’re the personality, you have to be authentic and organic,” he says, adding that the show’s live element makes for a challenge that’s “a little trial by fire,” but one that he’s eager to embrace.
And Lachey’s experience on the other side of the questions is sure to come in handy when he takes over the mic.
“I know how it feels and I always appreciate it when interviewers treat me with respect,” he says. “To me, the thing that was the most disconcerting in an interview was when someone would pop a question on you that you hadn’t talked about in the pre-interview and you felt like you were ambushed. I didn’t want to be the guy that ambushes someone. I want people to walk away from the show and want to come back.”
So that means he may or may not be talking about Cory Monteith with Lea Michele, one of his first guests.
“If that’s something that she’s prepared to talk about, then I want to encourage that and be there to help ask the questions that are appropriate,” he says. “But if it’s something she’s not prepared to talk about, I’ll never be the guy to ask her anyway and put her on the spot just because she’s on live TV. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you were bombarded.”
Baby buzz?
The Lacheys aren’t shy about their desire for more kids. Vanessa recently told Access Hollywood Live that she “cannot wait for more” babies, a sentiment that Lachey happily backs.
“We’ve always talked about wanting more kids, so, yeah, we’re getting to the point where that’s gonna be a reality,” he says. “We definitely want Camden to have a brother or a sister, or multiple. We certainly enjoyed having Camden — he’s been an angel of a kid — so hopefully we’ll get lucky and have another angel.”
Meanwhile, in 98 Degrees news
This summer, Lachey’s bandmate Jeff Timmons will star in “Men of the Strip,” a reality show on E! detailing his time as part of an all-male Las Vegas revue.
“He did the Chippendales stint and that was something he had a lot of fun with,” Lachey says. “Obviously he stayed in shape and he’s very passionate about it.”
