Despite his usual misses, Ken Jeong finally nailed a guess on 'The Masked Singer'—and it hit close to home
Ken Jeong is easily one of the most beloved panelists on 'The Masked Singer,' who is known for his wild and often hilarious guesses. While his comedy has made Jeong a fan favorite, his guesses often miss the mark. Despite this, one contestant was surprisingly confident that Jeong would figure out their identity. Surprisingly, in contrast to classic Jeong fashion, he surprised everyone by guessing the singer correctly, making for one of the most wholesome 'The Masked Singer' moments.
The singer in discussion is Jeong's 'Community' costar Yvette Nicole Brown, who was confident that the actor would guess her. In the October 2024 episode, the show celebrated the classic film 'Footloose' but had to say goodbye to Showbird, who was revealed to be Brown. Despite Jeong's reputation for getting celebrity guesses wrong, Brown told CinemaBlend she was convinced he'd recognize her instantly due to their long history on 'Community.'
She said, "It's funny. I know Ken knows everything about me. He knows how I walk. He knows my jokes. He knows what my voice sounds like when I sing and when I talk. On Community, we did 16-hour days together… We all know each other as well as a spouse, except for that one thing." She further added, "I just knew as soon as I walked out, I was like, 'He's gonna know, he's gonna know.'" Brown also pointed out that Joel McHale, another 'Community' alum, was on the panel and joked, 'If it didn't click immediately, something is going on.'
After her reveal as Showbird, Brown shared that part of the fun was performing in front of Jeong, especially since he eventually guessed her identity, but not right away, as per Parade. "It's so funny. He's guessed me so many times. It's finally me, and he's stumped. I’m like, 'Dude!'" she said while laughing. She admitted she wasn't sure whether Jeong was genuinely confused or just playing around as he said, "I don't really know how much of that was real or not. I don’t know. Ken’s a jokester, so he could have been joking.'
Brown further added that she plans to ask him directly, saying, "After I do all my press today, I’m going to ask him, 'When did you know?' Because I would think he would know when I walked out because we have spent so many hours together on Community, sixteen-hour days for five years." She further joked, 'He should be able to see me as a lump on the floor and go, 'That’s Yvette in that lump.'" Despite the playful mystery, Brown summed up her experience on the show positively, revealing, 'Everything about it was exhilarating and exciting and fun. I highly recommend it."
The actress also revealed why she finally agreed to be on the show after years of turning it down, saying, "I’ve been asked just about every year to do the show." Brown shared that she had turned down the show multiple times because music felt too personal and exposing. However, after a difficult year caring for her father, she decided it was time to push herself outside her comfort zone, and Brown finally joined the show as a way to try something new and shift her focus from personal struggles.