The Masked Singer is a really fun show to watch since celebrities wear costumes and audiences find out who is behind the mask. There have been some fun celeb surprises on the show and the costumes are often funny and colorful. It's fun to watch stars sing and dance, which is why shows like Dancing With The Stars are such big hits, and it's great that this show is so surprising as it makes it impossible to stop watching.
After watching for a few seasons and enjoying every moment, fans are definitely curious to find out about the origins of The Masked Singer. Let's take a look.
The Inspiration
Nick Cannon is The Masked Singer's host and the show began airing in January 2019. How did it come about?
The Masked Singer was a South Korea show first. According to The Hollywood Reporter, there are also shows in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and China.
Craig Plestis, who has produced many reality shows such as Deal or No Deal and The Apprentice, was at a Thai restaurant in Los Angeles when he saw that everyone was watching The Masked Singer's Thailand series.
After a few days went by, Plestis got the rights to produce the show in the United States.
According to Insider.com, the show is called King of Masked Singer in South Korea, and it began airing in 2015.
Plestis shared that it's super important to make sure that the celebs are hidden until, of course, it's time for viewers at home to see who is wearing each mask and costume. This is what sets the show apart from other reality shows about singing or dancing. He told Entertainment Weekly, "This is not just who did a better job performing, like a lot of other talent shows. This is who's behind the mask. And so our jobs as producers is to keep that secret alive until that mask comes off."
Making 'The Masked Singer'
Plestis told Entertainment Weekly that everyone who works on the show is "thrilled" to have gotten an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Competition Program.
He talked about how the popularity of the show has grown over time: "I think because we've been snowballing. The first year, it's like, are we just a one-hit-wonder? Is it just a flash in the pan? We came back again, we're number one again in season 2, and then season 3 being launched behind the Super Bowl, I think it just got even more awareness with that platform that was afforded to us."
According to Decider, the show was a ratings hits for Fox in the first season and it got a two-season renewal. Now the show is on its fifth season so it definitely has become very popular.
The Celebrity Guests
Craig Plestis shared in an interview with Awards Daily that some stars weren't certain about appearing on the show in the first season as they wanted to see if it would become more successful as time went on.
Plestis explained, "First season, I would say, yes, it was difficult. But we were lucky. I went around and showed a lot of different celebrities, saying it’s a huge hit in Asia, and you’re going to wear these wacky outfits and it’s going to be a gigantic spectacle. A lot of celebrities turned to me and said, 'Craig, call me in Season 2 or 3 when this is a hit. I’m not sure about this.'"
Plestis said that Jenny McCarthy was excited about appearing on the series and Robin Thicke was into it, too: Thicke "loved it from the get-go; he plays games with his son where they try to guess who the animated voice is."
It's definitely interesting to learn how celebs appear on the show. According to Decider, many stars who appeared on the show's second season were happy to do as their children love watching it. That is adorable as it must be so much fun for the kids to see their parents revealed on The Masked Singer.
While many celebrities love the show, many families do, too.
Plestis told Decider that many families watch the show together and it has become a popular family activity. He said, "It’s a nice moment because that shows you that broadcast TV can bring families together outside of just sports.”
Season 5 of The Masked Singer is wrapping up in May 2021 and fans are enjoying seeing who is behind each mask and costume. It has definitely been a fun addition to the crop of reality shows that feature great performances.