Discover 5 surprising facts about 'The Masked Singer' — including who’s officially the worst guesser
'The Masked Singer' has long been a favorite reality TV show because of its elaborate costumes, wild performances, and jaw-dropping celebrity reveals. On May 8, the show unmasked its season 13 winner, Pearl, as the Grammy-winning Gretchen Wilson. But behind the glitter, glamor, and masks lies a completely different world that viewers don't always get to see. Here are the 5 surprising facts about 'The Masked Singer' that will blow your mind.
1. Each contestant has their team
Given that not all contestants are professional singers or from a singing background, a team is assigned to them to help with their performances. "The competitors also have access to voice coaches, choreographers, and a production team, so they get to put it all together,” host Nick Cannon shared in an interview with People. Further to maintain secrecy, "They can only talk to the people who are their producers or their choreographer," Executive Producer of 'The Masked Singer' Craig Plestis once told People in a separate interview. He added, "We never want to hear their speaking voices." This is why the contestants sound distorted when talking during the show.
2. 'The Masked Singer' costumes take 6 weeks to make
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Since its premiere, 'The Masked Singer' has been renowned for its iconic costumes. From Fuzzy peas to Space Ranger to Pearl, the costumes not only serve as a disguise to serve the thematic purpose of the show but also speak a lot about the contestants, whose preferences are also weighed during the making of the costume. Marina Toybina, the show's costume designer, revealed the hard work and craftsmanship that goes into making every costume. "We are creating works of art. Even to this day, my mom watches the show and she says, 'Oh, that’s so pretty!' And I’m like, pretty? That took six weeks of carving!" she told in an interview.
3. Audience reactions are sometimes edited
Even though the show is pre-recorded in front of a live audience, the reactions are not 100% genuine. Fans have claimed that some reactions are edited or enhanced in post-production to maintain the desired pacing and suspense for viewers at home. That's the reason why, before streaming the episode on Hulu, the show shares a disclaimer that reads, "Portions of the Program not affecting the outcome have been edited and/or recreated," as reported by Cinemabland.
4. Ken Jeong is declared the worst guesser
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"Ken makes the worst guesses," host Nick Cannon told People. "The fact that he's a doctor and super intelligent—all of that goes out the window because he's just throwing names out there. But it's hilarious." He also said that, in terms of judges, Robin Thicke takes the show "extremely seriously," and he listens to the voice to try to figure out if he recognizes it.
5. Actor Ryan Reynolds participated in the original South Korean version of the show
Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) and @octaviaspencer are here!
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 7, 2022
They talk all about their new highly anticipated holiday movie “Spirited,” working together, clicking on set and how they kept a straight face while filming. pic.twitter.com/JG4hTM3kel
While promoting 'Deadpool 2' in 2018, Ryan Reynolds made an appearance on the South Korean version of the show. Under the disguise of a Unicorn, he sang a rendition of Annie's 'Tomorrow'; however, he didn't last long on the show. He was eliminated right after his first performance. Later on, in an interview with Today, the actor opened up about the little experience he had of the show: "When I was there, I was like, 'Why did I sign up to do this? This is horrible! This is truly horrible! I don't know this song; I don't know how to do this." He added, "It was traumatic. What's crazy is I was in actual hell."