Exclusive

Meet The Masked Singer's Celebrity Competitors in All Their Creepy Costumed Glory

Exclusive! Fox's new singing competition series features disguised celebs and we have your first look.

By Chris Harnick Oct 19, 2018 3:30 PMTags
The Masked Singer FOX

The Masked Singer isn't your typical singing competition. How do we know, considering we haven't seen a single episode of the new Fox series? Just look at the photos below of the disguised contestants.

In the celebrity competition series hosted by co-executive producer Nick Cannon, a star-studded panel featuring Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke attempt to discover the true identity of the masked singer. E! News has the exclusive first look at the 12 celebrity competitors clad in head-to-toe extravagant costumes. Combined, the masked celebs have 65 Grammy nominations, 16 multi-platinum albums, 16 Emmy nominations, nine Broadway shows, four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and four Super Bowl titles. Oh yeah, not every competitor is known for their singing voice.

One singer is eliminated each week, revealing his or her true identity.

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"This is truly one of the most unique, genre-defining formats I've ever seen," Rob Wade, president, of alternative entertainment and specials at Fox Broadcasting Company, said in a statement when the show was announced. "It's a massive international hit, and its boldness and originality make it the perfect fit for Fox."

See the competitors below.

The Monster

The Songs: "Don't Stop Me Now," "I Don't Want to Be," "American Woman," "I Love Rock & Roll," "Stay With Me"

The Clues: 

He's a monster because that's what the world labeled him 
Here to rewrite his mixtape to prove he's more than "puff and fluff" 
At the top of his game, but the game turned on him 
Retreated into his cave to take a break from the public eye 
Here to set the record straight 
Not a professional singer "to everyone" 
Took a drive up from the south in his Cadillac
New York and the desert in the background
Back in the "swing" of things to get his mind right
Has a deep wound to heal
Like everyone else, I've had my share of dark days
I'm a fighter
I've discovered the teddy bear I am at heart
Don't think about swinging your negativity his way, he'll just swing back
Brought out a special headset: "I make my best calls on this headset" 
Nick thinks it might be someone he knows 
Had his own leather jacket that said "American Monster" 
Grew up in the south, had to stay inside 
Won awards, but out of nowhere people said he wasn't the real deal  
Couldn't let people make him a bad boy for life 
Came out from under the bed to step into the ring 
Says he was not on In Living Color and his shoe size is 12
Villified and persecuted for sounding like a ringtone 
Putting on a front made him angry 
Hiding behind faster tracks 
Away for over a decade 
"I'm a father, a husband, a son, a brother, and more than anything, I'm a person." 

Our Best Guess: It's probably T-Pain, but who knows?! 

The Reveal: T-Pain!

The Peacock

The Songs: "The Greatest Show," "Counting Stars," "All of Me," "I Can't Feel My Face," "Let's Go" 

The Clues: 

Started performing young
Loves the spotlight
Close friends with Michael Jackson
Plays piano
Small ceramic dog?
Very Las Vegas 
Part of a magic act 
Said, "it's been a while since your mom had a poster of me on her wall" =
Many versions of his career
Started as a teenybop 
But there's more than meets the eye
Cast in some dramatic roles
Terrified of heights
"I have performed in Las Vegas"
Sad and lonely under mask 
It's like his entire career "disappeared into thin air" 
Everyone recognizes him
Rainbow cape 
Weight 176 pounds 
"At night, I ride into the competition" 
Has to step up his game 
Brought out a curly wig: "Because of this wig, I was thrown in jail." 
Started as a showbiz prodigy, got fanmail very young
Hosted award shows 
Performed for knights, kings, and queens
"My face has been tattooed on a person's body." 
Hates to let his "little soldiers" down 
"I have dedicated my life to showbusiness. This mask transforms me into another character. It's funny because at home my partner would look at me and I'd be walking through the house [like a peacock]. And my partner would say, let it go, you're not a peacock at home....I've done this before." 

Our Best Guess: Donny Osmond.

The Reveal: Donny Osmond!

The Bee

The Songs: "Chandelier," "Locked Out of Heaven," "Wrecking Ball," "What's Love Got to Do With It," "Natural Woman" 

The Clues: 

Long career, started in the 50s
flown to soaring heights
being a "worker bee" keeps her young
call her "Queen bee" or "Empress" 
Wants to sing to new generation
Peaches and honey references
Faces lift her up
Not up on what's happening in the music world today
Have to be willing to flip the script 
Says "take me to court" 
Mom gave her the idea to form a group at a birthday party when she was 8
"It was always in the cards" 
Got a record deal and "All peaches and marmalade ever since" 
It's a trip singing songs other people have written
"it's all in me" 
Never thought she'd be singing a modern power ballad
Brought out bakeware: "This is my second favorite thing to do." 
"Going back to what I know best" 
"A few of us queen bees got our groove on back then, so which one am I?"
Tina Turner is a close friend 
Has 10 Grammys 
Loves baking peach cobblers
Santa Fe, Grammys
Aretha Franklin is a good friend 
"I'm a people person. Behind this mask, it's difficult because I'm cut off in a way from you. I need to see you, I need to touch you, I need to feel you, and that's the way it is for me" 

Our Best Guess: Gladys Knight, also known as the "Empress of Soul" 

The Reveal: Gladys Knight!

The Rabbit

Songs performed: "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Wake Me Up," "Poison," "Isn't She Lovely," "My Girl" 

The Clues: 

Lots of twitching
Was never alone on stage 
"Pops" up here and there 
Known for synchronized singing 
Has performed in a mask before 
Said the last mask standing "is gonna be me" 
Said "Yes, in a band" 
Amusement park/Coney Island themes
Food references - likes to "cook up something new" 
Has felt "boxed in" in a group
Could not say if he had toured with Nicole (Eden's Crush and NSYNC toured together) 
Wanted to confuse the panel with R&B
Calls himself a trickster 
"I bounce here, I hop there, and then I'm gone" 
Busted out some old school moves, hoped he didn't pass out 
Brought a tiny magician kit: "It's another way I like to impress an audience." 
Marionette strings and puppets
"Hanging tough in the sunshine state" 
"Break my achey heart" 
Circus theme on stage 
"I have 17 tattoos on my body" 
Loves camping and hiking 
"Chicken of the sea" 
"Trashin' the camp" (AKA the song NSYNC sang on the Tarzan soundtrack)
Has done some work in a costume before, but not singing 

Our Best Guess: Joey Fatone feels really right. The NSYNC member used to have a cooking show and had a Coney Island-themed hot dog stand in Orlando, and this week, the Rabbit really sounded like Joey for the first time. 

The Reveal: Joey Fatone!

The Lion

The Songs: "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody," "Feeling Good," "California Dreamin,'" "Diamond Heart," "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" 

The Clues: 

Hollywood royalty 
Stepping away from her pride 
Lots of women in her pride 
Feels like she's on cloud nine 
Could be a "frontrunner" 
Mask makes her feel courageous
Important to use her voice
Lots of protest imagery
Newspaper called "Hailey Times" 
Wanted to prove being onstage is her destiny
Wants to be a "model of courage" 
Loves The Wizard of Oz
Time to stop being "sugar and spice"
"Tick-tock, the twister is coming." 
Brought out a scrunchie: "It's a family heirloom." 
"Down in the cabaret bars of old Chicago" 
"Say my name" 
whispers and gossip (or rumors)
The bluegrass state (Kentucky)
"I have a subscription to a monthly mystery game" 
Born into an empire 
"I'm an advocate, not a victim, even though I've been bullied for a lot of my life. A daughter, a sister, I have moments of insecurity but to sing in a mask, it completely changes everything that you thought you know." 

Our Best Guess: Rumer Willis denied that it's her, but it definitely is. She's been in Chicago on Broadway. She was born in Kentucky and grew up in Hailey, Idaho. She's Hollywood royalty.  

The Reveal: Rumer Willis! 

The Alien

Songs: "Feel It Still," "Love Fools," "Happy," "Ex's & Oh's" 

The Clues: 

Grew up in public eye
Anonymity is an alien concept
No one will control her again
Lots of snakes 
Has many sisters 
Kids toy imagery, more snakes 
She's a quadruple threat
Has recorded many things
Has been "poked and prodded"
Wanted peace and quiet
Always craved the simple life
"That's hot" 
Destined for the limelight 
Brought out a police badge: "I've sworn to protect and serve" 
Badge says Indiana 
Knows a thing or two about the law and fashion 
Malibu and the Moulin Rouge
Coordinates: 52 2 North, 57 66 East
1956 
"I have been on the New York Times Best Seller's List twice" 

Best Guess: Those Simple Life/Paris Hilton references threw everything off, but La Toya Jackson is still the best guess. She even starred in a reality show called Armed and Famous about celebrities training to be reserve police officers in Muncie, Indiana. 

The Reveal: It's La Toya Jackson! 

The Raven

The Songs: "Rainbow," "Bad Romance," "Brave" 

The Clues: 

Spent her life listening to other people's stories, now wants to share hers
Always been a sunny kind of person
Never had trouble getting an audience 
No one talks more than her 
Recently suffered a tragic loss 
Honoring "her beloved" 
Found beauty in the darkness
"Like a phoenix from the ashes, I will rise up and find a light" 
"Don't cry, baby, this one's for you"
Says she's a lover, not a fighter
Confirmed she hosted a talk show 
Lots of bird imagery 
Once a lonely bird until a man came and recognized her beauty
Cried tears of love into the Hudson River
The year 1968
Did this show against all instincts 
Made a career of talking to people
Has a bird's eye view from death to love
11:11
"My greatest joy is being a mother to my flock"
Sometimes you have to look back to go forward
Brought out an Emmy: "I place this where my flock can admire it"  

Our Best Guess: Ricki Lake. She lost her ex-husband in 2017 was born in 1968.

The Reveal: It's Ricki Lake! 

The Unicorn

Songs: "Fight Song," "Oops I Did It Again," "I Love It"  

The Clues: 

Born in Beverly Hills 
Told she was tone-deaf 
Always told she wasn't good enough 
Wants to prove you just have to believe in yourself 
Said "they call me Bird" 
Recently lost her sheen (Sheen?) 
Wanted to exude model behavior 
Said she's feeling Victorious 
Said she's going for the gold 
Balloon imagery 
Only known as a gymnast "in the bedroom" 
Words like "Floated" "Heaven" 
Five little unicorns 
"Cartwheels" "Crafted" 
Brought out a typewriter: "This typewriter has created lots of magic" 

 

The Reveal: It's Tori Spelling! The typewriter was Aaron Spelling's actual typewriter! 

The Poodle

Week 1: Performed "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar 

The Clues: Ever since she was a little girl she's loved to be on stage and to take on a character. She picked a poodle because it's sassy, smart, and best in show. She loves San Francisco and comes from a musical family, but she's known for a different talent. She loves exercising her right to free speech and rainbows are involved. She's returning to musical roots to show a side never seen before, and to figure her out we're all going to have to WORK. She says "I'm here for your honor." 

Week 4: Performed "Time After Time" 

The New Clues: Has to be flawless to do this role of the poodle justice, turns to best friends to practice new material, tells a joke so she's definitely a comedian, lots of legal references, heights are her biggest fear, says she's been fired multiple times. 

The Reveal: It's Margaret Cho! 

The Deer

Week 1: Performed "Thunder" 

The Clues: 6'3", chose the deer because they're incredibly competitive, always considered himself a singer but not sure anyone else would agree, says it's hard for people to get past who he is and what he's known for, he's been knocked down fifty times, but in the Wild Wild West you learn how to get up and get back in the saddle, likes horses, had to wrap his antlers in medical tape. He also said "Ravens beware," and had to "take the fifth" when the panel asked if he played in the NFL.

Week 3: Performed "Get Your Shine On" 

The new clues: Being in the bottom isn't his style, used to be able to sell "salt to a slug," now seems to sell used cars but can't get his lines right, knows how to throw, really likes throwing, does a lot of throwing, throwing! Said "I have multiple world titles, started in track and field, then it went to horses." 

Our Best Guess: Another football player, perhaps Terry Bradshaw? He's done car commercials...

The Reveal: Terry Bradshaw 

The Pineapple

Week 2: Performed "I Will Survive" 

The Clues: Decided to be a pineapple because they're "fun, tropical, and go well with ham," been through some dark times, beat a life-threatening disease, this OG decided to take things as they come, never wipe the smile off my face, been in the public eye for decades, always dreamed of being a singer, has a bumper sticker that says "pipe dream" and is clearly into smoking weed. 

The Reveal: Tommy Chong

The Hippo

Week 1: Performed "My Prerogative" 

The Clues: Male, breakfast is the most important meal of the day because he needs his strength, he's one of the most dangerous animals in the kingdom, used to performing in a mask in front of thousands of screaming fans, has to dance whenever he wins even when it gets him in trouble, drinks orange juice, has a lot of money, and his favorite past time is bowling.

The Reveal: Pittsburgh Steeler Antonio Brown

The Masked Singer is based on the international hit that has produced viral moments and half a billion fans from around the world.

"There are very few hit formats left in the world, and when I saw The Masked Singer, which is a true global and viral phenomenon that has captured the world's attention, I knew it had to be brought to life in America," executive producer Craig Plestis said in a statement when the show was announced.

The Masked Singer debuts January 2019 on Fox.