Bobby Brown is officially coming out of his shell on The Masked Singer.
The 52-year-old R&B vocalist was unmasked as The Crab during Fox's popular Fox singing competition show on Wednesday, April 21. In an exclusive interview, Bobby tells E! News that he and his family members have been huge fans of The Masked Singer even before he was invited to compete.
"I was excited," he says about producers offering him the spot. "It was just great because we are such big fans of the show. My kids, we all watch it religiously every Wednesday. We've been watching it since day one. So it was just wonderful to know that they wanted me to be a part of it."
The New Edition performer shares three children with wife Alicia Etheredge and is also the father of two adult children from previous relationships.
Bobby has experienced his share of painful moments over the years, including the death of 28-year-old son Bobby Brown Jr., who passed away on Nov. 13 as the result of an overdose.
Additionally, Bobbi Kristina Brown, his only child with ex-wife Whitney Houston, died at age 22 in July 2015. Whitney herself passed away in 2012 at age 48.
In a particularly heartfelt moment on The Masked Singer, Bobby dedicated his performance to his late family members. As far as what Bobby Jr. and Bobbi Kristina would think of him competing as The Crab, the star tells E! News, "My kids would be probably watching. They're probably enjoying the fact that I'm enjoying myself, and not sitting at home and being sad. I could see them appreciating the show and appreciating the time spent doing the show."
The "My Prerogative" vocalist admits that performing on the highly rated series makes him want to get back to his singing career. He says he plans to release a new album later this year and also looks forward to touring again, both as a solo artist and with New Edition.
In the meantime, he can't wait to see his kids' reaction to watching his unmasking when it airs, since he hasn't yet told them it's him.
"They are going to tell me they knew already, but I know they can't wait to shout it—'Take it off, take it off, take it off'—so that they can see that it's me," Bobby says about his children. "But we thoroughly enjoyed the show every week anyway. Even when I am revealed, we will still be watching the show."
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on Fox. Keep scrolling to see who else has competed on the current season.