SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched the season 11 premiere of “The Masked Singer», broadcast on March 6 on Fox.
“The Masked Singer” kicked off its 11th season Wednesday night — and in perhaps the show's most unusual reveal, the comedian Kevin Hart brought his prank war with host Nick Cannon to the show.
Hart brought his one-night-only appearance to “The Masked Singer” as Book, singing the song “So Sick” by Ne-Yo (who happened to be the winner of Season 10 of the show). The performance… was a little harsh, man. By the end of the song, the show's panelists seemed to be enjoying it. But after Robin Thicke quickly identified Hart, the star took off his costume to reveal himself.
“This is a prank, you didn't know I was coming here Nick, and guess what, there's nothing you can do about it,” Hart exclaimed to Cannon – who was apparently not informed of his appearance beforehand. Hart and Cannon have a long history of pranking and even turned that into the “Celebrity Prank Wars” series.
“That’s stupid!” Cannon exclaimed. “It was the worst performance in the history of this series!”
Hart claimed his misinterpretation of “So Sick” was intentional, but Cannon didn't see it: “You embarrassed yourself!” You look very stupid. Hart replied: “I look well prepared, Nick. There's nothing stupid about me. You know who looks stupid? You in that stupid jacket.
Ultimately, while Hart revealed himself, none of the other celebrity contestants at Wednesday's premiere were outed.
Before revealing himself, Hart-as-Book added: “I’m pumped. I've done a lot of things. As many. But what I'm doing right now is perhaps my most novel experience yet. I was looking forward to this. That's all I was thinking about. And the fact that I get to come here and express myself, I'm just excited.
Returning for season 11 is host Nick Cannon, alongside panelists Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke, while Rita Ora joined the office to replace Nicole Scherzinger, who was in London to star in “Sunset Boulevard” in the West End.
Ora opened season 11 by performing “Who Are You?” » by The Who. — one of the show’s key themes.
Season 11 of “The Masked Singer” will feature themed episodes, including “The Wizard of Oz,” to celebrate the classic film’s 85th anniversary; “Transformers” (on the occasion of the brand’s 40th anniversary) and musical tributes including “Billy Joel Night” and “Queen Night”. Additional themes include “Girl Groups”, “Soundtrack of My Life”, “TV Theme Party” and “Shower Anthems”.
Featuring sixteen famous singers in total, including three “wildcards”, season 11 features new costumes, including “Gumball”, “Lizard”, “Ugly Sweater”, “Goldfish”, “Starfish” and “Book”.
Here are the other performances from Group A during Wednesday's first episode:
Goldfish, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker / Fox)
Pete Papas
Goldfish
Song: “Vampire”, by Olivia Rodrigo
The panel guesses: Léa Michele, Selena Gomez, Carly Rae Jepsen
Hint: Gold disc. “Let it be recorded that gold is my lucky color. »
Package voiceover: “It's official. You finally caught me on 'The Masked Singer' network. When I first started, I was an overnight sensation. But all this success has made me feel like I'm living in a fishbowl, with everyone's eyes and expectations on me. I had big decisions to make. I could play it safe or dive into deeper, darker waters. So, I took the plunge. Even though it was a risk, I swam against the tide and broke the mold. And to this day, I still like to keep people guessing. That's why I am here. Hollywood can be a bit of a soul sucker. So, I'm proud that I kept my head on my shoulders. Just like this mask is going to be.
Starfish, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker/Fox)
Pete Papas
Starfish
Song: “Material Girl”, by Madonna
The panel guesses: Catherine O'Hara, Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon
Hint: Clock that says “50 billion”. “I have been broadcast for over 50 billion minutes. And that was only a year away! »
Package voiceover: “I heard you were having a premiere party. So, I put on a swimsuit and came immediately. When I was starting out, I served steaks to the stars. I've been around people like Steve Martin and Whitney Houston. All I heard was “please check!” » Then I got the gig of my life. The one that would make my name known throughout the world. Now I have everything. And I can afford it! So trust that your yes is coming. Or find a rich sugar mama like me to join in the fun.
Ugly sweater, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker / Fox)
Pete Papas
Ugly sweater
Song: “The Best”, by Tina Turner
The panel guesses: Charlie Wilson, Nile Rodgers, Verdine White
Hint: “Featured” on an ugly sweater. “The ugly sweater is always in fashion. This is probably why the biggest stars want to work with me.
Package voiceover: “When I burst onto the scene as the young, handsome Ugly Sweater, I was the epitome of style and the top of the world. I lost my concentration. And my whole world fell apart. I went from living in penthouses to sleeping on park benches. My life was hanging by a thread. But when I hit rock bottom, I realized I had to change. And I started fighting to get my voice back. Now I'm back on top, better than before. So, I want to win this trophy for all the people who helped me get back on my feet, to live a life that is simply the best.
Lovebird, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker / Fox)
Pete Papas
Inseparable
Song: “House,” by Phillip Phillips
The panel guesses: Travis Kelce, Odell Beckham Jr., Nick Viall
Hint: Television with “Leading Man” written on it. “I may be a great Love Bird, but you know I'm even better as a leading man.”
Package voiceover: “It’s so fitting that I’m a Lovebird. Because what can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic. Every decision I have made in my life is because of love. Either the hope of finding him or the fear of losing him. And you know as they say, love makes you do crazy things. Well, they were right. OK, moving on. I have had success in many areas. But I always followed my heart. And I found myself in front of millions of people. I even won awards for being so adorable. But my greatest pride is to have finally found someone to nest with. And now I followed my love of music to be on this stage. I'm not a singer, but I've always wanted to be on this show for seasons. And I'm so happy to be here tonight.
Book “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker / Fox)
Pete Papas
Book
Song: “So Sick”, by Ne-Yo
The panel guesses: Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Hart (Robin)
Package voiceover: “Of course, I follow the book. I have stories for days and a vocabulary that is really… what's the word? GOOD. And I owe everything to my mother. You see, my brother was a troublemaker. A true detective novel. So, my mother had to lay down the law… on me. So I was good at everything from school to sports. But when it came to acting, I was obnoxious. There is still this vocabulary. It means horrible. But I knew I was going to get there. And these days, I'm a bestseller. Earning over $4 billion at the box office. That’s a lot of paper! Now I'm here with a replay of last season's champion. With a mission to impress a special friend.
Last season's performers included Ne-Yo as Cow, John Schneider as Donut, Macy Gray as Sea Queen and Janel Parrish as Gazelle, joining John Oates as Anteater, Keyshia Cole as Candelabra, Sebastian Bach as Tiki, Ginuwine as Husky, Ashley Parker Angel as S.'plus, Metta World Peace as Cuddle Monster, Luann de Lesseps as as Hibiscus, Tyler Posey as Hawk, Billie Jean King as Royal Hen, Michael Rapaport as Pickle, Tom Sandoval as Diver, Anthony Anderson as Rubber Ducky and one-time special guest Half. Lovato as Anonymous.
Fox Alternative Entertainment is behind “The Masked Singer,” which is executive produced by showrunner James Breen, Craig Plestis and Nick Cannon. The series is based on the South Korean format created by Mun Hwa Broadcasting Corp.