The Masked Singer is coming back with a fifth season filled with anonymous celebrity performances, and the Fox singing competition is making sure it takes the mystery and the showmanship to a whole new level. Premiering Wednesday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET, The Masked Singer‘s new season not only features new costumed celebrities and clues, but also two wild new twists designed to make it even harder for the judges to figure out who exactly is hiding behind the elaborate masks.
Keep scrolling for all the details on what’s to come this season, from the judges and costumed contestants to the new guest host who will introduce two game-changing twists to the game.
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The Judges
Returning for another season of guessing what superstar is hiding underneath the show’s signature wild costumes are judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke, who have been sitting on the panel for five seasons now. “The level of star power in Season 5 is at another level!” Thicke teased at the show’s Tuesday TCA panel, as Jeong joked that the show’s premise is more relevant than ever amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Look, we’re getting the message out about wearing masks, guys,” he quipped during the presentation, as per Deadline. “If you want to wear a mask out in public; if you want to wear a mask on television — I mean, how better than to get the message out and [make a profit] than to wear masks!”
Nick Cannon Temporarily out as ‘Masked Singer’ Host, Niecy Nash in
While the judging panel remains the same, there will be a temporary switch-up in hosting. Nick Cannon, who has hosted all four seasons of The Masked Singer thus far, will sit out the first part of the season after testing positive for COVID-19 last month. As he recovered, comedian Niecy Nash stepped in as the interim host, having previously served as a guest judge.
Executive producer James Breen shared during Tuesday’s TCA presentation, “Nick rejoins towards the second half of the season,” Breen said. “I won’t be too specific about how many shows, but Niecy kicks things off. …We got incredibly lucky there because Niecy just stepped in pretty last minute. And immediately had her own chemistry with the panel. She was just a producers’ dream. Absolutely fantastic.”
‘Masked Singer’ Season 5 Costumes
The most exciting part of every Masked Singer season is meeting the costumed contestants competing for the Golden Mask, and this season is no different. Introduced so far for Season 5 have been season are Russian Doll, Grandpa Monster, Chameleon, Black Swan, Piglet, Porcupine, Phoenix, and Snail, some of whom have even shared a sneak peek of their performance on the show’s YouTube page. People are already throwing in their guesses for which celebrity is hiding in each costume, and fans have already guessed the Hanson brothers are the stars behind the Russian Dolls.
Cluedle-Doo
One of the big twists coming to Season 5 is a “clue-meister” known as Cluedle-Doo. Underneath the rooster mask is another celebrity guest, but instead of singing, Cluedle-Doo will appear on the show to hand out new clues about the masked singers’ true identity, interrupting the show for an extra hint — or simply a tease. “He messes with us!” McCarthy said Tuesday at the TCAs. “We think he’s going to give us an amazing clue — sometimes he does, but sometimes he’ll steal it or not tell us!”
Wildcard Contestants
The other twist comes from “wildcard” contestants — a group of yet-to-be-announced celebrities who will be brought in during special rounds for the opportunity to sing their way into a spot in the competition and unseat a member of the regular group. “It just adds a freshness to the whole show,” said executive producer Craig Plestis of the brand new twist during Tuesday’s presentation. “It brings a whole new life to the series so we’re excited by it.”
Behind-the-Scenes
Behind the scenes of The Masked Singer is locked down to prevent anyone on the show from guessing the celebrities’ real identities. Nash told Entertainment Tonight Wednesday that even she wasn’t able to spill the beans to wife Jessica Betts after guest hosting. “They keep those secrets like they are in a vault,” she said of how she was able to keep her mouth shut about the star contestants of Season 5. “Nobody knows who these people are… I didn’t know anything. [There] was nothing for me to come back home and tell!”
Watch the Promo
Get your first look at The Masked Singer Season 5 in the latest promo, where McCarthy teases of a future unmasking, “This could be the biggest star ever.” Don’t miss the premiere of all-new The Masked Singer episodes, on Wednesday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, and drop your first guesses at who is hiding behind the elaborate costumes in the comments section.
