Turns out, 'The Masked Singer' uses code names for contestants — and that's not even the weirdest part
Fox's 'The Masked Singer' has to be one of the most intriguing reality shows. Since its debut in 2019, it quickly became a fan favorite thanks to its unique premise of identifying celebrity singers hidden behind extravagant costumes. But keeping those identities a secret is no simple task. Fortunately, 'The Masked Singer' goes to extreme lengths to keep contestants' identities secret, and to add more, there’s a whole set of strict rules made to ensure the contestants' identities remain completely under wraps.
After her elimination as 'The Clock' on 'The Masked Singer,' Grammy winner Thelma Houston spoke with CinemaBlend and shared a surprising behind-the-scenes detail about the show's strict secrecy rules. While fans may already know that contestants wear full cover-ups, including black sweatshirts and visors, to hide their identities, Houston revealed an extra layer of security as she said, "Listen, from the time they pick you up at your house to take you to the studio, you are dressed up," she said.
"Even when the driver came to pick me up... they said, 'We're picking up Madeline. They didn't even have my name. I said, 'Oh, no.' But they had another name for me that the driver was picking up. So, yeah… they aren't playing about that security. They don't be playing about that." Houston further said, "They said we're picking up Madeline," she recalled, impressed by the level of security. The contestants must reportedly stay fully covered, are not spoken to on set, and have handlers for assistance.
Even Dog the Bounty Hunter admitted he couldn't figure out who else was competing while on the show, and despite the intense precautions, the show has occasionally had identity leaks, most infamously when Rudy Giuliani was unmasked, prompting judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke to walk off.
'The Masked Singer' executive producer Craig Plestis revealed to PEOPLE that the show operates under intense secrecy to protect the identities of its celebrity contestants. Since the core of the show revolves around guessing who's behind the mask, tight security is a must. Plestis joked that being on the set is like "being in lockdown at a government facility" and added, "We tell all of our celebrities, 'This is going to be an experience unlike you've ever experienced on any show, movie, or whatever you’ve done before,'"
Plestis even noted that "the best job to have on The Masked Singer is to be part of the security detail. That's the one that keeps growing." Plestis also explained, "We keep them on different parts of the lot. So if there's a contestant practicing on the stage, none of our panelists can ever see them or hear them." He added, "We shut off all the feeds across the lot so no one can even accidentally hear their singing voices... And all of our contestants are sequestered in a separate part of the lot, with security around them."
Panelist Jenny McCarthy echoed the sentiment, comparing the secrecy to the final season of 'Game of Thrones,' saying, "I feel like that’s how The Masked Singer is when you enter the lot. It is so secretive. It is so compartmentalized." Moreover, the judges and contestants are strictly kept apart, interacting only during the live performances to avoid any accidental identity reveals. McCarthy admitted she was surprised by how separate things really are, saying, "I was reading some news article about how the celebrities get their own lot, their own land of fun. And I'm like, 'Where does this exist?'" She joked, "Even though we're all on the same sound stage, we’re in two separate worlds."