Rules You Didn't Know 'The Masked Singer' Contestants Have to Follow
Security and discretion are top priorities on set.
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Since 2019, America has watched in anticipation and awe as celebrity contestants are revealed on The Masked Singer. If you're as obsessed with the show as we are, you know the thrill of trying to crack the clue package. But now we're here to share some different kinds of secrets — a.k.a. what it's like for the competitors. Over the years, producers and stars alike have pulled back the curtain and revealed how the show really works. From costume decisions to intense security protocols, we're lifting the mask on the rules The Masked Singer contestants have to follow during filming.
Contestants must be famous.
The idea for the competition came from a South Korean game show and was brought to the U.S. in 2019. Every episode, celebrities battle it out onstage in a singing competition — but there's a catch.
They can't reveal their identities until they're eliminated.
The contestants are forced to go completely incognito. We're not talking sunglasses and a baseball cap. They have to wear head-to-toe costumes.
Stars get to choose their own costumes.
There's a set of pre-selected costumes that the celebs pick from and then are allowed to tweak them to their liking. Host Nick Cannon told PEOPLE, "Usually their costumes are a clue to who they actually are."
But seriously, nobody can know the truth.
You'd think the celebrity judges or the host would be able to sniff out who's appearing on the show, but they're all kept in the dark. No one except a small group of production employees knows who's competing.
Only code names are allowed.
Code names, like Fox, Night Angel and Unicorn are used to describe the alter egos of contestants. Since no one knows their real identity, the contestants are only referred to by this name until they're unmasked.
Celebrities must be in disguise at ALL times.
Because, say it with us now: Their identity must. remain. a. secret. Contestants wear hoodies to keep from being recognized on set when they're not performing. "They didn't see your hands, or your body, because we had to wear these big hoodies and balaclavas. It was very, very extensive in hiding who you were," season 1 contestant Margaret Cho told E! News.
That includes during rehearsals.
Contestants must wear their costumes or hoodies and masks while practicing their performance for the upcoming week's show. Even the backup dancers aren't allowed to know who they're performing with on stage!
Tight security is a must.
Not only are the audience members and crew surrounded by a security team, whose goal it is to keep the contestants away from everyone, but the contestants themselves have an extensive detail as well.
Contestants and panelists are not allowed to interact backstage.
The contestants are kept in an entirely separate area from the panelists on set. The only time the contestants can interact with them is when they're onstage in costume.
Even onstage convos should be brief.
"We came to the agreement of like, OK, they're going to ask one question, and you can answer—with the scrambled voice, you know. You didn't want to test it too much because you could kind of hear the person, like through their cadence. If people talked a lot you, could probably figure out who it was," Margaret told E! News.
Competitors can't talk to one another, either.
"They kept us apart in that we were all scheduled to come onto set at different times. All of our rehearsals were at separate locations where we just had no idea. You never ran into anybody, I never crossed paths with any of the people," Margaret told E! News.
But stars do have their own guesses.
"Towards the middle of the competition, once you were blended into a group, that’s when you got to hear each other, when you’re passing each other doing sound checks. So I had my suspicions..." season 2 contestant Wayne Brady told Entertainment Weekly.
They have to perform in front of a studio audience.
Even though the show is prerecorded, the celebrity guest is still belting it out onstage in front of a panel of judges and a full audience. This is not the competition for a star with stage fright!
And yes, all performances must be live.
No lip-syncing here! Stars aren't allowed to pre-record their performances, no matter if they have any singing experience or not.
Sorry, singers: No original songs are allowed.
Even though some of the contestants are professional singers, original songs aren't featured on the show. Only cover songs are permitted, in order to not give anything away.
Audience members have to sign an NDA.
Since the show is pre-recorded, the audience has to sign a nondisclosure agreement before they attend a taping, which prevents them from spoiling the results before the episode airs.
Voices must be disguised at all times.
While interacting with the panelists onstage, the voice of a contestant is autotuned and scrambled in a way that's unique to them and used throughout the season. This is done to keep them from being recognized, of course.
Speaking backstage isn't allowed.
You have to remain silent backstage unless you're speaking with one of the limited production members who know your identity, season 2 contestant Adrienne Bailon told Good Housekeeping.
Stars can choose which songs they'd like to perform.
Producers work with the contestants to choose songs that not only suit their voice, but also fit that week's theme. From Vegas Night to Muppet Night, the show likes to get creative.
Clues provide hints as to who the stars are.
The contestants give the panelists and audience members a shot at guessing their identity though clue packages that are dropped before — and sometimes after — the performances.
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