Masked Singer Season 5 Premiere Reveals Snail’s Identity

SPOIL ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched the first season of season 5 of “The Masked Singer”, which airs March 10 on Fox.

It’s not easy to be seen: Kermit the Frog was the first celebrity to be unmasked in season 5 of “The Masked Season,” as the hit series Fox returned Wednesday night.

You read correctly. The producers of “The Masked Singer” had been mesmerized this season as a “game changer,” and tossing things off with a Muppet certainly lives up to it.

Kermit wore the snail costume and sang “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Hall and Oates. The Muppet was not available for interviews, but sent an email Variety about his motivations for signing up for the show: “After years of being your everyday talking frog, I thought it would be fun to be someone else,” he said. -he declares. “The chance to become a snail – with my own built-in mobile home – was too good to pass up… I didn’t last very long on the show. But I loved every minute of it.

Robin Thicke thought it was Seth MacFarlane, Ken Jeong named Jay Leno, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg guessed Ted Cruz and Nicole Scherzinger thought it was Billy Crystal.

It’s a shame McCarthy Wahlberg didn’t go with her instincts, as she even made a joke after the snail performance by saying “he pushed the sound of Kermit the Frog”.

Of course, in reality, Kermit has been voiced by Matt Vogel full time since 2017, which means he was probably the one controlling and voicing Kermit in the snail.

“We decided to structure the costume around a mobile, battery-powered cart controlled by the celebrity hidden inside,” executive producer Craig Plestis said. “Our biggest fear given the limited visibility was that our celebrity would leave the stage, but luckily that didn’t happen.”

The idea for the snail arose out of the producers’ desire to create a costume that “was a total surprise,” Plestis said. “In other words, you couldn’t tell from the costume whether the celebrity was male or female, tall or short, tall or short, whatever. So we gave this idea to our Emmy-winning costume designer, Marina Toybina, and she ran with it.

Kermit was ready to sing “I’m a Believer” for his second number if he returned. Here’s the voiceover for Kermit’s Clue Bundle, and now that you know who it is, it makes sense: “Hey folks! You know, I played, directed, produced, recorded albums, I even graced the Oscars scene. I’ve rubbed elbows with everyone from Robert DeNiro and Lady Gaga to Michelle Obama. Well, you could say I’m best known for appreciating the talent of those around me. Here I want to show those scathing critics who have followed me throughout my career that I can shine on my own. And now I can’t wait to go out and snail it, get it?

“The Masked Singer” enters Season 5 with 16 contestants and a guest host: Niecy Nash, replacing regular host Nick Cannon. As first reported by Variety, Cannon was unable to return for the first episodes of this season due to a diagnosis of COVID-19. (However, Cannon was still heard at the start of the show as a voiceover announcer.)

Also new this season, “wildcard” competitors will be introduced to the competition and join the battle for the Golden Mask trophy. The Celebrities in Season 5 will be split into two groups of five (A and B), but brand new, masked celebrities will take part in the “wildcard” rounds and also participate. Additionally, the series has added a new character, a rooster named “Cluedle-Doo,” who promises to add a bit of trouble to the proceedings and share additional clues with viewers.

“The Masked Singer” continues without a true studio audience, but rather reaction plans from previous seasons. Voting at home is also done via a network of “Masked Singer” superfans, who watched the episodes while they were recorded on closed circuit.

This season’s costumes include the raccoon, seashell, black swan, snail, grandfather monster, phoenix, chameleon, Russian doll (s), porcupine, piglet, and jokers.

Season 5 contestants have 26 Grammy nominations, nine multi-platinum singles, four Oscar nominations, three Super Bowl appearances, six gold medals and two world records.

The show’s panelists are also once competing for a “Golden Ear” trophy based on their first impressions of each masked artist (which McCarthy last won) – For the snail, Thicke was Seth MacFarlane; Jeong named Jay Leno; McCarthy Wahlberg and Scherzinger went with Adam Corolla. None of them got a point.

Here are the other contestants and their performances on the first night, “Season 5 Premiere – Return of the Masks”:

Russian doll (s) (two competitors)

Song: “The Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson
The Cluedle-Doo index for you: “A Russian doll can sometimes have 15 replicas of itself.”
Voice off: “I’ve been doing my own thing for a while. Not like at the beginning, when I was the hottest toy in the world. These were the days. But I knew I was something more than a person to play, a puppet. And even though they tried to put me in a box, I just wasn’t up to it. Newer, shinier, and manufactured toys filled the shelves. So I was thrown to the side. And that was the best thing ever. It turns out that I can still sell without being a total sale. And I am ready to show that there is even more below the surface.
Guess from the panel: Boyz II Men; Vanessa Hudgens; Darren Criss, Matthew Morrison, Kevin McHale and other “Glee” stars; Gwen Stefani and No Doubt Guitarist Tom Dumont

Shell

Song: “Listen to your heart”, by Roxette
The Cluedle-Doo index for you: “No two shells are the same.”
Voice off: “When I was young, I was drawn to the tide all over the world with my family. Always adrift, I never felt anchored. So I found my peace on the shore. When my career took off it was like a huge tsunami of success. But just like my childhood, I was still drifting. Wearing many hats, I often wonder if I have found my true calling. This is the reason why I am here. I’m nervous, I haven’t sung for a long time, but wanted to face my fears. And tonight, I hope you choose this shell for good.
The panel guesses: Kristen Chenoweth, Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt

Raccoon

Song: “Wild Thing”, by the Troggs
The Cluedle-Doo index for you: “The raccoon is known to be sharp.”
Voice off: “Sometimes to have a happy ending you have to go through hell first. In my darkest days, I faced death. Desperate to stay sane, I recited my favorite story, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. I was Quasimodo, locked up. The only difference was that he was innocent, when I was actually a monster. I promised God that if I had a second chance in life, I would do good. And I still keep that promise to this day.
The panel assumes: Gary Busey, Nick Nolte, Mike Tyson, Joe Pesci, Danny DeVito

Porcupine / “Robopine”

Song: “Never too much”, by Luther Vandross
The Cluedle-Doo index for you: “Porcupine is good at not becoming a roadkill.”
Voice off: “I might sound prickly, but don’t be afraid. Where I come from, I have been forced to grow thick quills. I was left on my own, with nothing but a dream. So, I went on a mission to be on the Hollywood radar. I used 411 day and night just to make a connection. Until a certain angel says “hello”. This random call changed everything. Now I am on my next assignment. And when I think of something, no one can touch me.
The panel guesses: Jamie Foxx, Idris Elba, Lionel Richie, Ginuwine