The Masked Singer season 9 will debut in February, and some new details have been revealed about what is in store for fans of the mystery celebrity reality singing competition. The Masked Singer season 8 ended with two of the biggest unmaskings in the show’s history: runner-up Wilson Phillips as the Lambs and winner Amber Riley as Harp. The Masked Singer season 8 introduced theme nights for the first time ever. It also had a new format that allowed only one contestant to make it through to the next round. This led to a record-breaking 22 singers performing in The Masked Singer season 8.
According to a FOX press release shared by The Futon Critic, the premiere date for The Masked Singer season 9 is Wednesday, February 15 at 8 p.m. EST. The show, which ranked as fall 2022’s #1 unscripted series for the fourth consecutive year, will once again feature themed episodes.
The Masked Singer season 8 featured theme nights that were geared toward certain celebrities, including Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Muppets. It also had other themes such as Vegas, TV Theme Songs, ’90s, Comedy Roast, Hall of Fame, and Fright Night.
The Masked Singer Season 9 Announces New Characters
Some of the names of the new characters who will compete in The Masked Singer season 9 were also revealed, including French Hen, Doll, Axolotl, and Moose. However, photographs of these masks have not yet been released. In addition, although no formal announcement has been made, host Nick Cannon and panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, and Nicole Scherzinger are expected to return. Nick, Jenny, Ken, and Nicole’s voices are heard in the first The Masked Singer season 9 preview, and Jenny is shown at the end.
The return of The Masked Singer theme nights is a great thing for the show. The theme nights made the episodes more cohesive and helped to give clues as to which celebrities might be behind the masks. Many of them matched the theme nights, including The Brady Bunch brothers Barry Williams, Christopher Knight, and Mike Lookinland (the Mummies from TV Theme Songs Night), Jeff Dunham (Pi-Rat from Vegas Night), Joey Lawrence (Walrus from ’90s Night), and George Foreman and George Clinton (Venus Fly Trap and Gopher, respectively, from Hall of Fame Night). The Masked Singer theme nights also feature theme-matching guest panelists and celebrities who deliver clues.
The Masked Singer fans are ecstatic that the reality competition show is returning earlier than usual in 2023. For the past two years, it debuted in March. Although they are looking forward to a new season, they are hoping that FOX moves away from the Masked Singer season 8 format. The fans thought it felt rushed because most of the contestants left after only one episode. Whatever format The Masked Singer season 9 uses, there are sure to be many surprises and tons of fun.
The Masked Singer season 9 premieres Wednesday, February 15 at 8 p.m. EST on FOX.
Sources: The Futon Critic, The Masked Singer/YouTube
