Season 11 of “The Masked Singer” began on Wednesday night. In perhaps the most unusual reveal yet, comedian Kevin Hart has brought a prank war to the show with host Nick Cannon.
Hart made a one-night-only appearance as The Book on the Masked Singer, singing the song “So Sick” by Ne-Yo (who happened to be the winner of the show’s 10th season). Performance was…a bit pitchy, dawg. By the time the song ended, the show’s panelists seemed to be having fun with it. However, Robin Thicke quickly identified Hart and the star emerged without the costume.
Hart yelled at Cannon, who was allegedly unaware of the impending visit, “This is a prank, you had no idea I was coming here Nick, and guess what, there’s nothing you can do about it.” Hart and Cannon have a long history of pulling practical jokes on one another; they’ve even made it into a TV show called “Celebrity Prank Wars.”
“This is stupid!” Cannon exclaimed. “That was the worst performance ever on the history of this show!”
Hart stated that his intentionally off-key performance of “So Sick” was intentional, but Cannon had none of it: “You embarrassed yourself! You look very stupid.” Hart retorted, “I look put together Nick. There’s nothing stupid about me. You know who looks stupid? You, in that stupid jacket.”
None of the other famous applicants on Wednesday’s debut were unmasked in the end, as Hart revealed himself.
Before disclosing his identity, Hart-as-Book continued, saying, ” I’m pumped up. I’ve done a whole lot. Like a lot. But what I’m doing right now, this might be my most novel experience yet. I’ve been looking forward to this. It’s all I’ve been thinking about. And the fact that I got to come out here and express myself, I’m just excited.”
Along with panelists Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Robin Thicke, host Nick Cannon is back for Season 11, and Rita Ora has joined the desk to cover for Nicole Scherzinger, who was in London filming a role in the West End production of “Sunset Boulevard.”
One of the show’s defining themes, “Who Are You?” by The Who, was performed by Ora to kick off Season 11.
Season 11 of “The Masked Singer” will include music tributes like “Billy Joel Night” and “Queen Night,” as well as themed episodes like “Transformers,” which marks the 40th anniversary of the brand, and “The Wizard of Oz,” in honor of the film’s 85th anniversary. “Girl Groups,” “Soundtrack of My Life,” “TV Theme Night,” and “Shower Anthems” are a few other themes.
Season 11 has sixteen celebrity singers in all, three of them are “wildcards.” New costumes this season include “Gumball,” “Lizard,” “Ugly Sweater,” “Goldfish,” “Starfish,” and “Book.”
The other Group A performances from Wednesday’s first episode were as follows:
GOLDFISH
Song: “Vampire,” by Olivia Rodrigo
Panel guesses: Lea Michele, Selena Gomez, Carly Rae Jepsen
Clue: Gold record. “Let the record show that gold is my lucky color.”
Package voiceover: “It’s official. You finally caught me in ‘The Masked Singer’ net. When I first started out, I made a splash overnight. But all that success made me feel like I was 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 edgier waters. So, I took the plunge. Even though it was a risk, I swam against the current and broke the mold. And to this day, still love to keep people guessing. That’s why I’m here. Hollywood can be a little soul sucking. So, I’m proud I kept my head on my shoulders. Just like this mask is going to be.”
STARFISH
Song: “Material Girl,” by Madonna
Panel guesses: Catherine O’Hara, Cheri Oteri, Molly Shannon
Clue: Clock that says, “50 Billion.” “I’ve been streamed over 50 billion minutes. And that was just in one year!”
Package voiceover: “Heard you guys were having a premiere party. So, I threw on a bathing suit and came right over. When I was just starting out, I was serving steaks to the stars. I rubbed elbows with the likes of Steve Martin and Whitney Houston. All I heard was, ‘check please!’ Then I got the gig of a lifetime. One that would make my name known worldwide. Now, I have it all. And I can afford it! So, trust that your yes is coming. Or find a rich sugar mama like me to mooch off.”
UGLY SWEATER
Song: “The Best,” by Tina Turner
Panel guesses: Charlie Wilson, Nile Rodgers, Verdine White
Clue: “Featuring” on an ugly sweater. “Ugly Sweater’s always in style. Must be why the biggest stars want to work with me.”
Package voiceover: “When I hit the scene as a young, handsome Ugly Sweater, I was the epitome of style and top of the world. I lost focus. And my whole world unraveled. I went from living in penthouses to sleeping on park benches. My life was hanging on by a thread. But when I hit rock bottom, I realized that I had to change. And I started fighting to reclaim my voice. Now, I’m back on top, better than before. So, I want to win that trophy for all the people who helped me back on my feet, to live a life that’s simply the best.”
LOVEBIRD
Song: “Home,” by Phillip Phillips
Panel guesses: Travis Kelce, Odell Beckham Jr., Nick Viall
Clue: Television set that says “Leading Man.” “I may make for a great Love Bird, but you know I’m even better as a leading man.”
Package voiceover: “It is so fitting that I’m a Lovebird. Because what can I say, I’m a hopeless romantic. Every decision I’ve made in my life is because of love. Either hoping to find it, or the fear of losing it. And you know how they say, love makes you do wild things. Well, they were right. OK, moving on. I’ve had success in many fields. But I always followed my heart. And I ended up in front of millions. I even won awards for being so loveable. But my proudest achievement, finally finding someone to nest with. And now, I’ve 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
Song: “So Sick,” by Ne-Yo
Panel guesses: Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Eddie Murphy, Kevin Hart (Robin)
Package voiceover: “Of course I’m the book. I have stories for days and a vocabulary that’s really… what’s the word? Good. And I owe it all to my mom. See, my brother was a troublemaker. A real crime novel. So, my mom had to lay down the law… on me. So, I was good at everything, from school to sports. But when it came to performing, I was abhorrent. There’s that vocabulary again. That means awful. But I knew I was bound to make it. And these days, I’m a best seller. Making over 4 billion dollars in the box office. That’s a lot of paper! Now I’m here with a cover song from last season’s champion. With a mission to impress one special friend.”
Ne-Yo as Cow, John Schneider as Donut, Macy Gray as Sea Queen, Janel Parrish as Gazelle, and John Oates as Anteater were among the performers from the previous season. Keyshia Cole as Candelabra, Sebastian Bach as Tiki, Ginuwine as Husky, Ashley Parker Angel as S’more, Metta World Peace as Cuddle Monster, Billie Jean King as Royal Hen, Michael Rapaport as Pickle, Anthony Anderson as Rubber Ducky, Luann de Lesseps as Hibiscus, Tyler Posey as Hawk, and Demi Lovato as Anonymouse were among the special guests.
“The Masked Singer” is produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment and executive produced by Nick Cannon, Craig Plestis, and showrunner James Breen. The South Korean format developed by Mun Hwa Broadcasting Corp. served as the basis for the series.