Celebrity
The Masked Singer’s Most Outrageous Celebrity Reveals
From politicians to Tom Sandoval.
The Masked Singer requires celebrities to do something unusual: don very elaborate costumes as if they were a sports mascot, and sing for their lives. Not many other shows can get legitimate A-listers like Kevin Hart, political figures like Sarah Palin, and other notable celebs to perform like this for the TV world’s judgment and entertainment.
While many stars successfully show off their new musical side — or even remind viewers about their proven vocal prowess — others don’t make it past the first episode. But it’s a winning formula nonetheless, with The Masked Singer currently in its 11th season as the caliber of contestants continues to grow.
While the show is an adaptation of the South Korean series King of Mask Singer, the U.S. version’s success has spawned even more international versions, from the U.K. to Australia, providing some surprising crossovers. Below are the 20 most shocking celebrity reveals on The Masked Singer.
Demi Lovato
Over the first 10 seasons, the panelists guessed Demi Lovato so many times that it seemed like it was never going to happen. But then it did — albeit as a special guest on the Season 10 celebration special, not the actual competition. Her soaring voice wouldn’t have fooled anyone if she were an actual contestant.
Katharine McPhee & David Foster
David Foster has 16 Grammys, making him one of the most-awarded winners of all time. This made it even more shocking to see him come out of a banana split costume with his wife, actor-singer and American Idol runner-up Katherine McPhee.
Honey Boo Boo & Mama June
Many people were very surprised to see former pageant queen Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson and her mother June belt out in song — in a beach ball costume of all things. Honey Boo Boo is multi-talented, y’all.
Pentatonix
It didn’t take long for fans to correctly guess that California Roll was a cappella pop group Pentatonix. The Masked Singer has become good at pulling off duo costumes, but what made their reveal so surprising was that they were able to pull off good disguises for a fivesome.
Donnie Wahlberg
New Kids on the Block boybander Donnie Wahlberg going on The Masked Singer to show a new side of himself isn’t surprising. What made this reveal shocking is that he made it all the way to the semi-finals without his wife, panelist Jenny McCarthy, ever guessing that it was him. Needless to say, her reaction was TV gold.
Seal
Seal, four-time Grammy winner and hitmaker of classics like “Kiss From A Rose,” went on Season 2 as a leopard (wearing a Victorian-style dress). He managed to keep his voice disguised with theatrical takes on big band songs like “Respect,” making his reveal a genuine shock.
William Shatner
William Shatner doesn’t seem like the type to go on The Masked Singer, especially as a knight who rides on a golden duckling. However, the 93-year-old Star Trek alum is also a full-fledged singer, releasing his debut album in 1968 and multiple recordings since, so maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that he wanted to remind the world of his musical talents.
Tom Sandoval
What does one do after your reality TV cheating scandal blows up and you become “the most hated man in America”? Go on The Masked Singer, of course. Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval decided to perform as a diver in the fallout of Scandoval. Most fans quickly guessed it was him.
Kermit the Frog
The Masked Singer has achieved something no one thought possible: puppet inception. The Season 5 premiere revealed the Snail to be none other than Kermit the Frog, meaning they really put a puppet inside a puppet (costume). Ironically, the judges thought a male celebrity was disguising their voice to sound like Kermit, not even thinking it could be the frog himself.
Rudy Giuliani
Yes, former New York mayor, disbarred lawyer, and Donald Trump campaign worker Rudy Giuliani went on The Masked Singer as a Jack in the Box. (And yes, Four Seasons Total Landscaping was used as a clue). His participation was leaked to the press before his Season 7 reveal, but that didn’t make it less controversial, with panelist Ken Jeong even walking out in protest over the show’s decision.
Gladys Knight
Appearing on the first season of The Masked Singer, Gladys Knight was arguably the first contestant to show off the series’ caliber of stars. The Grammy winner slayed, expertly disguising her iconic voice and making it to the finals, only losing to an even more surprising artist.
T-Pain
T-Pain is the prime example of a Masked Singer success story. His Season 1 performances in a blue monster costume, a la Sully in Monsters, Inc., won him the entire show. But once his identity was revealed, viewers and the judges alike were amazed that the stunning voice came from a rapper famous for auto-tune, meaning he was able to show a whole new side to himself.
Dionne Warwick
Between her hilarious social media presence, Saturday Night Live sketches, and a star turn on Masked Singer, Dionne Warwick has done a great job sharing her voice with future generations. But she’s still one of the most-charted artists of all time, making her reveal all the more surprising.
Raven-Symoné & Adrienne Bailon
It made sense for former Cheetah Girls stars Raven-Symoné and Adrienne Bailon to appear on The Masked Singer to remind us all of their epic vocal stylings. What’s most shocking is that the two, who remain good friends to this day, went on the same season without knowing about each other. Imagine the Cheetah Girls reunion fans could’ve had.
Michelle Williams
Destiny Child’s Michelle Williams was not just a surprising reveal on The Masked Singer. She loved the experience so much that she went on to appear on the British and Australian versions of the show as well, and the audience was shocked each time.
Sarah Palin
Politicians appearing on reality TV is still surreal, and Sarah Palin's appearance on The Masked Singer was no exception. The former Governor of Alaska and Vice Presidential candidate was the first politician to appear, performing “Baby Got Back” as a tie-dye bear on Season 3.
Mickey Rourke
While former boxer and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke is not known for his vocal chops, he made his Masked Singer reveal even more amazing by being the first contestant to unmask himself during a performance.
Lil Wayne
The Masked Singer needed a big reveal for its Season 3 premiere, which aired just after the Super Bowl, and they delivered with one of the best-selling rappers of all time. Lil Wayne dressed up in a full-on robot costume to perform Lenny Kravitz’ “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” and blew everyone’s mind with his reveal.
Kevin Hart
The reveals in each season premiere are typically the season’s biggest stars, and for Season 11, they got Kevin Hart, who butchered Ne-Yo’s “So Sick” while dressed as a book. After only Thicke guessed him correctly, the comedian unmasked himself and said it was a prank aimed at Cannon before the two hilariously argued with each other onstage.
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds appeared on The Masked Singer before it was ever cool — because he did it months before it premiered in the U.S. In May 2018, the actor appeared on the South Korean version of the show, King of Mask Singer, to promote Deadpool 2, singing “Tomorrow” from Annie dressed as a unicorn. Naturally, everybody in the crowd lost their minds.
