Nicole Byer is an American comedian, television host, actor and writer. She is best known as the host of the comedic Netflix reality bake-off show Nailed It!.^[2] She recently starred in a scripted comedy based on her life, Loosely Exactly Nicole, on MTV and Facebook Watch.^[3] She first became known for her work on the prank show Ladylike and the commentary show Girl Code.^[4]

As of 2017, Byer is the host of the HeadGum podcast Why Won't You Date Me?.^[5]

Byer was born in the Lincroft section of Middletown Township, New Jersey on August 29, 1986, the daughter of Trevor Byer (1952-2008), a scientist for AT&T, and Lille Byer (1947-2002).^[6] Byer graduated from Middletown High School South in 2004.^[7] She is the younger of two daughters.^[8] She has described Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Turner, and Mo'Nique as her early inspirations.^[9] Byer moved to New York City after high school, waitressing and taking classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade before moving to Los Angeles in 2012.^[10] Byer then graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy Certificate Program in Professional Performance.^[11]

In 2013 Byer and Sasheer Zamata created and starred in a web series called Pursuit of Sexiness which was produced by Upright Citizens Brigade.^[12] In 2014, she hosted the first season of MTV's Are You the One? The Aftermatch Live, an after-show for Are You the One?.

Byer appeared in several roles on network television in 2016. That year, she had supporting roles on three shows: MTV's commentary show Girl Code; a hidden camera prank show Ladylike, also on MTV; and she was a series regular on the Fox show Party Over Here, a half-hour sketch comedy created by Paul Scheer and Lonely Island, which was cancelled after one season.^[13][14][15] As a commentator on the show Girl Code, she was described by Maitri Mehta at Bustle as a "beloved talking head";^[4] Stephanie Merry at The Washington Post called Byer "one of the most dependably funny commentators" on the show.^[16]

Byer has guest starred in several shows including BoJack Horseman, Transparent, and Bob's Burgers. She played Lizette in season 5, episode 7 of the Freeform series Young & Hungry in 2017. She also appeared as a guest judge on the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars.^[17] She tours the United States doing stand-up comedy and regularly performs improv with Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles.

As of March 2018, Byer hosts a Netflix original bake-off show Nailed It! alongside head judge, chocolatier Jacques Torres. Each episode features three home bakers with a "terrible track record" attempting to recreate extremely complicated pastries for a $10,000 prize.^[18]

In 2018, she appeared in a Smirnoff ad campaign with actor Ted Danson.^[19]

In 2016, MTV premiered Loosely Exactly Nicole, a scripted, single-camera comedy written and starring Byer, based on her life.^[3] Madeleine Davies at Jezebel described the show's premise as a "comedic look on [Byer's] life as a black actress struggling to make it in Hollywood."^[20] Loosely, Exactly Nicole premiered September 5, 2016 on MTV.^[9] It was later cancelled after one season.^[21] Shortly after, it was picked up by Facebook Watch for a second season.^[22]

In December 2017, Byer launched a weekly podcast Why Won't You Date Me? on the HeadGum podcast network.^[23] Each episode features a guest, typically another comedian, with whom Byer converses openly about her limited dating history, past sexual experiences, and frustration with being single.^[24] The guest also critiques her Tinder profile. Byer concludes each show by asking the guest host if they would date her. Past guests include her very close friend Sasheer Zamata, Emily Heller, and Brooks Wheelan. Critics have referred to the show as "bold"^[25] and "refreshing."^[26]

On The Ringer, Allison P. Davis described Byer's comedy: "Most easily compared to a raunchier Retta with a hint of Ilana Glazer's madcap energy. She's mouthy, vulgar, a little bit goofy, relatable but ridiculously charming, and not afraid to infuse her broad comedy with a confident sexuality."^[10] Writing for USA Today, Jaleesa M. Jones said that "it's precisely [Byer's] brazen, ribald brand of comedy that landed her in the creative incubator that is MTV, where she toplines two new comedy shows in 2016, Ladylike and Loosely Exactly Nicole".^[9]

Byer supports body positivity and stated in an interview with Brit+Co, "Body positivity, to me, means you accept the body that you’re in...And if you want to change it, you can, but you should love the skin that you’re in currently, forever. Because everyone is beautiful. No one’s truly ugly. You’re always beautiful to somebody, and you’re always ugly to somebody."^[27]