If The Hunger Games’ Capitol were to host a Eurovision Song Contest, it would be something like The Masked Singer. The reality show, about to launch its 11th season, pits a series of singing costumed mascots — referred to by cute monikers like “Llama”, “Thingamajig”, and “Sir Bug a Boo” — against each other in a singing competition. The catch? They’re all celebrities, and the panel of clueless judges must speculate their identity until they’re eliminated. They could be anyone, from professional athletes, influencers, washed-up sitcom stars, and occasionally some of the finest performers America has ever known.
The regular panel of judges — Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Nicole Scherzinger — have a varied pool of talent between them, but wouldn’t make good detectives. (“It’s an award-winning athlete,” said Thicke with complete surety about Kirstie Alley/Baby Mammoth.) Cult-like audience chants of “Take it off!” spur the contestant to unveil themselves, prompting the judges to yell, gesticulate, and act completely dumbfounded, no matter if the celebrity is “Empress of Soul” Gladys Knight or Twitch streamer Ninja.
But there is something undeniably winning about dressing up a celebrity in costume, making them sing covers, and then removing layers of heavy, stifling costume — this perfectly structured hook has propelled the show ever-onwards. To date, 168 celebs have been unmasked on the show; we’ve dug deep to find the 25 most surprising, outrageous, and iconic Masked Singer reveals.
25.
Elephant is Tony Hawk
The skateboarding legend and perpetually viral Tony Hawk got through four episodes dressed as a gaming computer mouse an elephant before elimination — his tuneless rendition of “Friday I’m in Love” probably didn’t do him any favors. His video “package” of clues hinted at the sheer breadth of his X-sport exploits, provoking a wide range of guesses from the judges. Jeong thought he was Beto O’Rourke, which is the kind of shrewd detective work you’d hope to get from someone paid nearly $2 million per season.
24.
Dragon is Busta Rhymes
Contestants who go out in a premiere episode, like Busta Rhymes did in season four, are usually the flashier, bigger bookings of the season. Apart from hooking old and new viewers, it means A-listers don’t have to stick around for this nonsense for longer than a week. Busta Rhymes’s elaborate dragon mask was a reference to his seminal album Year of the Dragon, and while there was nothing particularly explosive about this reveal other than as a revealing example of how much of this show relies on famous people telling famous-er people how famous they are.
23.
Jester is Johnny Rotten
The Jester spent the majority of season six relishing his impish harlequin persona and throwing the panel off-guard by singing both Alice Cooper and the Soggy Bottom Boys, before revealing himself to be Sex Pistols front man John Lyndon. It’s perhaps ironic that a poster boy of punk rebellion had his ideology aestheticized for a plastic reality competition show (maybe less surprising considering some of his recent political views), but he brought good energy when he revealed his performance was to entertain his dementia-suffering wife. In terms of Rotten’s career timeline, this 2021 performance came after the Islamophobia but before he said he really liked the queen now.
22.
Banana Split is David Foster and Katharine McPhee
Doesn’t it make total sense that multiple Greatest Showman songs have been covered across the various Masked Singer franchises? The flirtation with genuine ballad but ultimate submission to pure pop, the utter nothingness of the composition and lyrics — doesn’t it perfectly fit with the ultra-safe and positive mold that Masked Singer slots all its famous stars into? This May-December couple’s rendition of “A Million Dreams” still sums up the charming but inherent vapidity of the whole project. Like, they’re dressed as a sundae for God’s sake.
21.
Scarecrow is Linda Blair
The Mesopotamian demon Pazuzu would have been too obvious a character choice for Linda Blair for her stint on The Masked Singer (and too traumatic for family audiences). After a decent performance of “Abracadabra”, Scarecrow clearly was over this demonic pageantry, and self-eliminated herself. Blair mutely scampers over the stage despite Cannon’s best efforts to strike up any form of conversation with her. Just imagine that Thicke repeatedly saying, “Oh my God. Wow.” is exactly what he said when he watched The Exorcist.
20.
Squiggly Monster is Bob Saget
The late, great Bob Saget made it to the penultimate episode as Squiggly Monster, but maybe the House was just too Full, as he was booted before the final. Saget actually can hold a tune, and the audience couldn’t get enough of his great song choices (Creedence Clearwater Revival, Rolling Stones) and his energetic, easy-going stage presence. Huge news for crossover fans of dirty stand-up and pantomime singing shows, and an opportunity to see Saget truly out of his element in the last years of his life.
19.
Llama is Drew Carey
Wayne Brady is not the only Whose Line? icon to walk the Masked Singer stage — superhost Drew Carey donned the back half of a camelid to sing Ricky Martin and Tom Jones before his cumbersome, asphyxiating llama head was removed, much to the pleasure of guest host Jason Biggs. Llama made a splash with the panel (“I can’t! He’s got four legs!” cried Scherzinger) and post-unmasking he kept repeating that the show was “a blast”, but you get the feeling he didn’t want to continue. “I am so glad I only had to do two episodes.” He’s got union members to buy lunch for!
18.
Mother Nature is Vivica A. Fox
It’s very funny to sing Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out” in a show where your involvement necessitates hiding your identity for 90 percent of your screen time. Kill Bill star Vivica A. Fox clearly had a blast as Mother Nature. Despite limited eyesight in her costume and overly elaborate choreography, Fox was a bundle of energy — she couldn’t stop dancing in her ethereal costume and the panel were gutted to see her eliminated. She even jokingly asked Jeong, “Are you ready to call me mommy?” Wish she hadn’t done that.
17.
California Roll is Pentatonix
The Masked Singer has experimented many times with more than one performer in a costume: Snow Owls were Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black, and Beach Ball was Honey Boo Boo and Mama June. But a pair of celebrities wasn’t audacious enough: Season five’s Russian Dolls revealed themselves to be all three members of Hanson; season eight’s Mummies turned out to be Mike Lookinland, Barry Williams, and Christopher Knight of Brady Bunch fame. If you’re wondering what the ceiling for the number of people combined in a single costumed persona is, it’s five — season nine broke boundaries with California Roll revealing themselves to be a cappella group Pentatonix. Still, these are rookie numbers. Let’s see 11 for season 11.
16.
Beetle is Jerry Springer
A figure of public scrutiny all his life, the man who changed television forever was honored in maybe the only appropriate way on The Masked Singer — as a strange, anonymous and cartoonish object that had to perform for audience approval. Jerry Springer donned a beetle costume with a lawyerly suit, and to the late TV personality’s credit, he sang Sinatra fairly well. The judges, audience, and the Muppets perform the famous “Jerry! Jerry!” chant multiple times, having exhausted that week’s quota of “Wow!” and “You’re an icon!”
15.
Robopine is Tyrese Gibson
Tyrese Gibson took his Masked Singer platform incredibly seriously. Dressed as a cyborg porcupine, the actor and R&B singer spent his clue packages extolling public workers, his dreams of award prestige, and the passing of his co-star Paul Walker. He then sang incredibly heartfelt numbers — John Legend’s “All of Me” and Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” — moving Scherzinger to tears. It’s not that we find this emotion insincere, it’s that we don’t really know what to do with it within the parameters of something like Masked Singer. Good for you, Robopine.
14.
Fox is Wayne Brady
Emmy-winning comedian Wayne Brady actually won the second season of The Masked Singer, meaning he spent 13 episodes dressed as a steampunk-esque fox before winning the “Golden Mask” for his trouble, whatever that means. Fox had already been crowned by the time he took off his mask, and half of the panel had worked out that the polymath Wayne Brady was the only person capable of achieving such a niche feat. It must have been confronting for Scherzinger when a dead-eyed well-dressed fox told her, “You know who I am.”
13.
Wolf is Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton has one of the most recognizable singing voices in America that it is almost pointless putting him in an anonymous singing competition. Still, he did it dressed in a silvery wolf mask and a luscious cape, looking like a dashing anime villain. (Do they sing Jim Morrison in anime? Should they?) Bolton is a born performer and looks steely, unruffled, if a bit dazed under the sweat-inducing headgear. Bolton was on the verge of pretty major surgery when the episode aired, it’s unclear whether he had received his tumor diagnosis before his March 2023 performance. Either way, his message of making this a beautiful world felt prescient.
12.
Broccoli is Paul Anka
A few seasons in, all the simplistic character designs have been claimed, and things have to be taken up a notch. The Broccoli mask is not the most elaborate costume the show has ever seen, but when that three-foot veggie head sits atop the 79-year-old shoulders of rock-and-roller Paul Anka, you gain a new appreciation for these contestants’ participation. Anka is the most charming singer who is disguised as a vegetable, and when unmasked, he makes a tribute to the importance of The Masked Singer during a difficult pandemic year. We’d have started with hospital staff, but The Masked Singer is maybe second or third.
11.
Cluedle-Doo is Donnie Wahlberg
What would you do if you found out your husband was a masked singer? After a season of driving the judges cuckoo, the vintage clown-styled cockerel shocked the panel by choosing to reveal his identity: Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg’s husband. She collapses to the ground, hand outstretched like she’s seen a Victorian ghost, before poking her grinning face over the top of the desk like a kid in a Christmas movie. It’s the kind of unearned sentimentality that fuel family-friendly reality shows, but props must be given to a tremendous twist.
10.
Pickle is Michael Rapaport
Michael Rapaport took a break from yelling at people on Twitter to dress up as a giant dill pickle and act like a pro-wrestling heel. Seriously, he seems to think like the rival mascot at a college ball game, and gets really into his Irish-themed pickle persona, replacing many words in his song with “pickle”, as if the Pickle character actually means something within the context of the show. Still, whatever you think of the guy’s awful politics, you can’t deny that Pickle IS Michael Rapaport.
9.
Leopard is Seal
Don’t be confused by this subheading — a leopard is definitely a different animal to a seal. Leopard, wearing an Elizabethan-era dress, purred their way to late in season two with performances of “Somebody to Love,” “Respect,” and “Big Spender.” Their bassy diva energy sparked gender confusion among the panel, but when that wildcat helmet came off and revealed British icon Seal, the room was stunned. It feels like the Leopard costume/persona really brought out a flamboyant edge in Seal, whatever that means.
8.
Knight is William Shatner
Throughout his performance, it is unclear whether William Shatner is there of his own free will. Clad in a suit of armor, strapped to a golden-bird prop, singing “Puttin’ On the Ritz” like he’s trying to covertly spot a sniper trained on him — no Masked Singer performer has ever felt more like a hostage. “It was horrible,” moaned an unmasked Shatner, before remembering to cap it with “Oh, was that fun!” Not very convincing, but they should stop putting elderly people on this show altogether. The highlight is probably Nick Cannon trying to coin the nickname “Shat.”
7.
Mouse is Dionne Warwick
When you get Dionne Warwick for something as unsophisticated as The Masked Singer, you better make sure to spruce her outfit up a little. That’s why Warwick was a mouse with a floral dress, a flower crown, and fairy wings — this is how The Masked Singer treats royalty. The panel made up for it by showering the iconic singer with love and respect for honoring them with an appearance on their unserious singing mascot show. And since Latoya Jackson was Alien in season one, both celebrities in this Beth Littleford interview clip have now been on The Masked Singer.
6.
Gnome is Dick Van Dyke
This was a breakthrough moment for The Masked Singer, mainly because the 97-year-old legend is just so old, you’d think the heavy costuming would flag health and safety issues. Still, no one has gnomed better than our Dick, donning a Christmas tree–style robe and an impressively long ginger beard to stand in the middle of the stage while a million dancers spin around him. Hey, that’s fine with us! As long as the gnome doesn’t exert himself too much! Thicke says “Wow” about 90 times, Scherzinger weeps.
5.
Diver is Tom Sandoval
He’s been called “a pure narcissist” and “less smart than a pig,” but last October The Masked Singer had the courage to say that Tom Sandoval IS Diver. Covered in Octopus tentacles and trying way too hard to hit those high notes, the Vanderpump Rules villain bounced back from his Ariana Madix breakup with a stint on The Masked Singer. Sandoval wanted to do a show where he wouldn’t be judged for anything other than his talent (or for using head voice) and the fact that two massive reality shows are crossing over makes this someone’s Roman Empire.
4.
Lips is Wendy Williams
There is an audience reaction shot to the giant pair of red lips revealing herself to be Wendy Williams that may be the best moment from all ten seasons. The young man in the crowd seems to be genuinely aghast that this cruel world could produce such joy, and that he could witness it. Wendy never misses an opportunity to push some buttons: She asks Cannon if he’ll get back with Mariah Carey and tells Thicke she hopes he’s staying out of trouble. His on-the-spot reply? “Me? Oh …”
3.
Gremlin is Mickey Rourke
We gotta hand it to Mickey Rourke as he threw his massive gremlin head into the crowd and moved agitatedly around the stage — he simply did not want to be there anymore! While this unplanned unmasking was most definitely planned by the producers, Rourke’s baffling and often indecipherable rendition of “Stand by Me” and post-reveal rapport adds an uncertain but exciting energy to the show. When host Nick Cannon asks why he took part, he treats the show with the respect it maybe deserves. “I was in the neighborhood,” he remarks. “I watched, like, four episodes … from the beginning and all that shit.”
2.
Snail is Kermit the Frog
Do not be confused — Kermit the Frog is not a Snail! He remains, as ever, a frog. In the game-changing season-five premiere, the diminutive snail removed its massive hat to reveal … an empty space. Everyone was thrown; seriously, it plays like a Hitchcock movie. But with a command and charisma that critics have called “historic” and “masterful,” two green hands surfaced, and then Kermit appeared. There simply is nothing more winning than humans sharing a stage with Muppets, especially when you don’t expect them.
1.
Jack in the Box is Rudy Giuliani
In the single most controversial moment in The Masked Singer history (and there’s been a few over the years), the former New York mayor and shit-dripper-extraordinaire Rudy Giuliani prompted walkouts from judges and boos from the crowd that were cut around for broadcast. There is a clear tension in the room as Rudy talks about his granddaughter. We can’t tell what’s funnier: the confused and reluctant clapping from the crowd or all the effusive praise the panel gave Rudy before unmasking. What makes it so dystopian is the fact that a disgraced and reviled public figure appearing on a hypercharged fame-obsessed show like The Masked Singer isn’t an aberration, it’s exactly what the format encourages.