The wildest celebrity guessing game ever, The Masked Singer is grabbing fans and great ratings. The new star-powered singing game show was a sensation from the start, joining the FOX TV lineup on January 2. It airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m.
It features top-secret masked celebrities—ranging from Grammy Award winners to legendary athletes—disguised in bizarre costumes as a Rabbit, Raven, Unicorn, Lion, Alien, Monster, Peacock, Poodle, Deer, Bee and Pineapple, and Hippo. They all take a turn singing and a celebrity panel tries to guess who they are.
“Hippo” did “My Prerogative” with super style, but with the fewest votes from the panel he was unmasked and shown to be the NFL’s Antonio Brown. He’s the Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver who seems to have had practiced more on stage than on the gridiron with his team.
Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger, Nick Cannon, Jenny McCarthy, Robin Thicke (all photos credit FOX)
Hosted by co-executive producer Nick Cannon, with panelists Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy, all were blown away with the show’s first big reveal—and it’s very entertaining to try and figure out who else is hiding behind a mask.
Peacock “Masked Singer”
The panel had good guesses for the Unicorn singing “Fight Song,” with Ireland Baldwin and Paris Hilton among the possibilities. But it was absurd when the celebrity judges heard the Peacock singing “The Greatest Show” and considered that Hugh Jackman might be reprising his Greatest Showman tune. A better guess is Donny Osmond, especially with the Peacock’s Vegas style and hint that “it’s been a while since your mom had a poster of me on her wall.”
Although the celebrities’ identities are a mystery, between them they have a combined 65 Grammy Award nominations, 16 Emmy Award nominations, four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and four Super Bowl titles. The singers may attempt to throw the crowd off of their scent, while keen observers might pick up on the clues throughout the show. One singer will be eliminated by the audience and judges each week, based on their performance, and will then reveal his or her true identity.
Nick Cannon said it’s not a “who done it, it’s a who sung it. But not every competitor is known for his or her singing voice, and some may really shock you with their vocal skills.”
Monster “Masked Singer”
Why are the celebrity contestants participating in this over-the-top game? At the Television Critics Association’s summer 2018 press tour FOX presented an interview panel and singer/songwriter Robin Thicke said he loves the mystery element to the show. “Some have had incredible careers and are looking for a way to re-energize them. Others are just looking to have fun,” according to Thicke, who has to figure out who’s behind the moster masks.
Actress/TV host Jenny McCarthy noted, “One could be an actress that we never knew had a singing voice. That’s what was so fun in trying to figure out who they are, because a lot of them looked like they’d been doing this for their whole lives, and we found out this was the first time they’ve performed on stage.”
Jenny added, “I think people are going to be surprised at how many people are so multitalented, where I’m still trying to figure out my own talent, sitting there, going ‘wow.’ The show was so fun for us, and when the finale came, it was bittersweet we didn’t want it to end.”
Produced by Endemol Shine North America, The Masked Singer is based on the South Korean format created by Mun Hwa Broadcasting and was developed for the U.S. Executive-produced by Craig Plestis (Minute to Win It), Izzie Pick Ibarra (Dancing with the Stars) also serves as an executive producer, and Alex Rudzinski (Grease: Live) directs.
Already an international phenomenon with over half a billion fans worldwide, the series features celebrities facing off against one another with the crazy twist that each singer is shrouded from head to toe in an elaborate costume with full face mask to conceal his or her identity. With each performance, the host, panelists, audience, viewers and even the other contestants are left guessing who is singing behind the mask.
The Masked Singer is the wildest celebrity guessing game ever. Tune in Wednesdays on FOX.
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