When it comes to reality competitive series, there is one new show that easily takes the cake, 'The Masked Singer'! The show, which aired back in 2019, is hosted by none other than Nick Cannon and features an array of celebrities who perform each week, however, the judges and viewers at home have to guess who is singing as each and every contestant is in costume!
With 4 seasons having come and gone, fans are now wondering what the selection process is like and whether or not the masked singers get paid! While we know that the shows judges, which is made up of Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, and the hilarious Ken Jeong, make quite a lot of cheddar doing what they do, however, are the celeb contestants also getting paid? Let's find out!
Do The Masked Singers Earn A Salary?
'The Masked Singer' first made its way over to the United States back in January 2019 when FOX aired the very first season. The show has become an international sensation, with franchises in countless countries. While it originated in South Korea, fans in the U.S are absolutely obsessed with the show, and cannot get enough! The entire concept has the panel of judges, made up of major names from Nicole Scherzinger to Robin Thicke, along with viewers at home, have to guess which celebrity contestant is singing on stage.
While this sounds easy enough, celebs are not only in costume but have their speaking voices altered to keep their identity hidden. Each week, a celeb is voted off the show and must reveal who they are. In past seasons, the show has had celebs such as Patti Labelle, Jesse McCartney, Chaka Khan, Drew Carey, and Kelly Osbourne to name a few. Although it is expected that contestants are receiving some form of a weekly stipend, as they do on 'Dancing With The Stars', it turns out the celebs on 'The Masked Singer', don't make a single penny!
According to Bustle, the show itself is purely "just for fun." They went on to say, "each person behind the masks is a celebrity of some kind who presumably has plenty of money and opportunities, so it wouldn't make sense to give them even more", Bustle finished. While this may come as a shock, considering celebrities are normally compensated on other shows such as 'DWTS', and 'Celebrity Big Brother'.
Bustle had even mentioned that when celebs aren't paid, they can at least choose a charity of their choice to raise money for, however, "that doesn't seem to be the case here", Bustle said. It appears the show is definitely on to something and considering these celebs have enough money to last them a lifetime, producers kept it is about the laughs rather than the cash.