‘The Masked Dancer’ Trailer Arrives and Teases More Mysterious Personas

Fox released a new trailer for The Masked Dancer, the first spin-off from The Masked Singer, following the mothership show’s finale on Wednesday. The new series follows the same format as The Masked Singer, except the celebrities have to dance instead of sing. The judges also get to hear one word from each dancer to help them figure out which celebrity is wearing one of the intricate masks. The series debuts on Sunday, Dec. 27 after NFL coverage.

In the teaser, host Craig Robinson tells the audience that each celebrity contestant performs “unique dances, while covered from head to toe in elaborate costumes and face masks, leaving audiences to guess their identities” and there are “clues everywhere” to help the judges identify the contestants. In one clip, Ashley Tisdale tells The Tulip he or she is showing “the TikTok sign.” Judge Paula Abdul is impressed by The Shark’s athleticism. Ken Jeong, the one carry over judge from The Masked Singer, thinks he knows who one of the contestants is right away. Brian Austin Green, a recent Masked Singer contestant, is also on the judge’s panel but was not featured in the new teaser.

The Masked Dancer is inspired by a segment on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and was announced in January. In October, Fox announced Robinson, who is best known for playing Daryl on The Office, would host the show. Fox confirmed guest judges will be brought in during the season. The competitors have a combined total of “38 million albums sold worldwide, 20 Emmy Award wins, 20 Grammy Award nominations, 10 World Dancing titles, five New York Times Best-Selling Author titles, four Olympic gold medals, and three Broadway show appearances,” according to the network.

The new series will help fill up Fox’s schedule after The Masked Singer Season 4 wrapped up this week. During the finale, LeAnn Rimes was crowned the winner, as it was revealed she was wearing the Sun costume. Aloe Blacc came in second and was wearing the Mushroom outfit. Former Backstreet Boys singer Nick Carter came in third and was wearing the Crocodile costume.

Before the finale aired, Fox renewed The Masked Singer for a fifth season. “I’m so happy to announce a new season of The Masked Singer,” Rob Wade, President of Alternative Entertainment and Specials at Fox Entertainment, said earlier this month. “This show brings joy to so many families across the country, especially during these trying times, and we can’t wait to get even more celebrities suited up in crazy costumes for an hour of pure fun every week.”