Since The Masked Singer started in early 2019, fans have witnessed some shocking celebrity reveals, and we've compiled information about the most surprising ones. The show introduced viewers to a group of masked characters who were ready to compete and sing their hearts out. The twist was that famous musicians, actors, athletes, and politicians were inside of the elaborate costumes.
The show is an American spin-off of the South Korean franchise. In early episodes, The Masked Singer revealed the height of the contestants, but the show's producers soon realized that this decision led fans to solve the mysteries pretty quickly. Two years and five seasons later, the series holds its own against other reality singing competitions, including The Voice and American Idol. As fans have attempted to guess the contestants' identities alongside the judges, there have been some outrageous casting reveals.
Sarah Palin
During The Masked Singer season 3, Alaska's former governor Sarah Palin was unmasked after performing as "The Bear." After her reveal, Palin proceeded to rap Sir Mix-a-Lot's 90s hit, "Baby Got Back," with the lower half of her colorful costume still on. She described her time on the show as a "middle finger to the haters." Viewers didn't know what to make of the Sarah Palin reveal then, and some still don't. That wasn't the first time a Palin appeared on reality TV, as Sarah's daughter Bristol was on Dancing with the Stars a decade prior.
T-Pain
When he was unmasked as "The Monster," producer and rapper T-Pain shocked fans during the first season. By tackling power ballads like Sam Smith's "Stay With Me," T-Pain made it all the way. He won in the finale. In the music world, he's known for his traditional autotuned production style, and viewers were surprised that he didn't need any vocal adjustments. After his win in 2019, he was hired as a guest judge for season 3.
Kermit the Frog
Most recently, during The Masked Singer season 5, the identity of "The Snail" eluded judges and fans. Kermit's time as "The Snail" was short-lived, as the beloved Muppet didn't advance beyond the season premiere. When the top of the costume was taken off, the judges were confused. This was because there was no face in sight. Eventually, the famous green frog popped out and surprised everyone. As someone was likely singing inside the costume (and controlling Kermit), the possibility of Kermit performing each week seemed unlikely. Kermit's The Masked Singer appearance marked the first time someone non-human was cast as a contestant. Maybe Miss Piggy will appear next?
Bret Michaels
Long after his days as the frontman of the rock group Poison (and following other reality appearances on The Apprentice and Rock of Love), Bret Michaels returned to television. Costumed as "The Banana" during season 3 in 2020, he made it pretty far. This is unsurprising, given his past experience as a professional singer. Although it was filmed before the pandemic, this season aired during lockdown. This added a different meaning to Michaels' cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." Many contestants join the show because their children enjoy it, and that was why Michaels decided to be "The Banana."
Jordyn Woods
Jordyn Woods, the former best friend of Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kylie Jenner, joined the show after her alleged cheating controversy with Tristan Thompson. The 23-year-old hid as "The Kangaroo," and wowed the audience with her rendition of Jordin Sparks' "No Air." Her clues on the show included a turntable, some basketball references, and red lipstick, and those clues made it hard for judges and fans to come up with good guesses. "This show is the first time I've ever sung in front of anyone," Woods told the judges on the show, much to everyone's surprise. The judges thought "The Kangaroo" could be Ayesha Curry, Rob Kardashian's ex Blac Chyna, or even Keira Knightley.
Dionne Warwick
Before her days were spent on Twitter, where she is an icon, famed singer Dionne Warwick joined the season 3 cast. Warwick appeared as "The Mouse" and wore a costume that included fairy wings. She showed off her vocal range on songs like Natalie Cole's "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" and "Get Here" by Oleta Adams. Shockingly enough, Warwick was eliminated in episode 5, which upset viewers at home. Online discussions about an alleged conspiracy centered on the show's voting process followed Warwick's departure. One Twitter user wrote, "All I can think about is how this show voted off Dionne Warwick and Chaka Khan just to let Rob Gronkowski rap with no rhythm."
Bob Saget
Known for playing the father on Full House, Bob Saget chose to be "The Squiggly Monster" on The Masked Singer season 4. Just before being voted off, Saget's identity was guessed by judge Robin Thicke, but the reveal was still surprising to most viewers. His costume was horrifying, with several arms and a randomly placed top hat. His most prominent song on the show was a cover of The Rolling Stones hit, "Satisfaction," and he wasn't a completely bad singer.
Logan Paul
YouTuber Logan Paul was recently unmasked as "The Grandpa Monster" during season 5. Most of Logan's career prior to The Masked Singer has been controversial. However, he keeps trying to redeem himself. His older persona managed to stump the judges, although one got close by guessing his brother Jake Paul. Logan spoke to Variety about his costume decision following his elimination. He said, "I thought he’d be a fun misdirect in his geriatric nature, and then me like a kid, teeming with life on the inside like busting out of a grandpa costume. I thought that’d be funny and provide a nice little juxtaposition.”
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET on Fox.
Sources: Ava Joon/Twitter