The Masked Singer unveils a new format when season eight begins Wednesday, September 21. For the first time, only one contestant will move on from each episode. The studio audience will vote for their favorite singer, and the contestant with the least amount of votes will take the mask off mid show.
That celeb will watch the rest of the show from the Masked Singer VIP section.
The top two singers will face off in a Battle Royale performance of the same song. The winner is named King or Queen and moves on to the next week’s episode, while the loser unmasks.
The three finalists left standing after each round will compete in the semifinals.
Themes for season eight include Vegas Night, Comedy Roast, Hall of Fame, Muppets Night, Andrew Lloyd Webber Night, TV Themes, ‘90s Night, Thanksgiving and Fright Night.
The season will have 22 celebrity contestants. Costumes include Bride, Avocado, Venus Fly Trap, Sir Bugaboo, Scarecrow and Hedgehog.
Celebrity guests making appearances include Donny Osmond, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Will Arnett, Leslie Jordan, Joel McHale, Tori Spelling, Jon Lovitz, Lance Bass and Drew Carey.
The show averaged 7.7 million multiplatform viewers last season.
Nick Cannon hosts and the panelists are Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke.
The Masked Singer is produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment. Craig Plestis, James Breen, and Nick Cannon are executive producers and James Breen is the showrunner. The series is based on the South Korean format created by Mun Hwa Broadcasting Corp. ■
