| The Masked Singer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | The Masked Singer Australia |
| Genre | |
| Based on | |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Peter Ots |
| Creative directors |
|
| Presented by | Osher Günsberg |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "Who Are You" byThe Who |
| Composer | Dorian West |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 55 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 45–50 minutes |
| Production company | Warner Bros. International Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | Network 10 |
| Release | 23 September 2019 (2019-09-23) – 7 November 2023 (2023-11-07) |
The Masked Singer Australia is an Australianreality televisionsinging competition show which was hosted byOsher Günsberg,[1] that premiered onNetwork 10 on 23 September 2019. It is based on the international musicgame show franchise formatMasked Singer which originated from the South Korean television programKing of Mask Singer. The show was recorded atDisney Studios Australia, formerly called Fox Studios Australia.[2]
Although the series was renewed for a sixth season in October 2023, which was set to air in 2024,[3] the series was later cancelled by Ten in May 2024.[4][5]
In March 2019, TV Blackbox shared leaked news thatNetwork 10 would be producing a local series of the franchise.[6] The news was officially announced in May 2019 at the network'supfronts.[7] In June 2019, it was revealed thatOsher Gunsberg would be the host of the series.[1] On 15 July 2019, it was revealed that American actressLindsay Lohan would join the show as a panellist. Australian singerDannii Minogue, comedianDave Hughes and radio presenterJackie O were also announced alongside Lohan.[8][9]
At the network'supfronts in October 2019, it was announced that the series had been renewed for asecond season.[10][11] In April 2020, it was reported that theCOVID-19 pandemic would force pre-production of the second season to be delayed so filming was postponed from late July to early August 2020.Lindsay Lohan was also unable to fly to Melbourne to take part in the program[12] and was replaced by new panellist, comedianUrzila Carlson.[13][14]
In October 2020, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a third season, which premiered on 13 September 2021.[15][16]
On 20 October 2021, it was announced that the series would return with a new season that aired in 2022, with Jackie O, Minogue, and Carlson all not returning.[17]Mel B,Abbie Chatfield, andChrissie Swan joined the panel as their replacements.
In February 2023, Swan announced that the show would be returning for a fifth season, which aired in late 2023.[18]
The show has an 'extreme security protocol' in effect both during and after filming to protect the celebrity's identities fromleaking, with host Günsberg stating that the show "was beyond any kind of security I've been exposed to."[20] Everyone involved in the show signed anon-disclosure agreement which prevented anyone from revealing any information about the shooting dates, costumes or identities of the masks episode until its broadcast. The celebrities who appear on the show are only allowed to inform their spouse about their participation, who must also sign one.[19][21]
In order to keep the identities of the masks secret, audience members and the majority of the production staff were not allowed to watch the unmasking and were removed from the studio moments before the celebrities are revealed, with Günsberg revealing that there were "only 8 people in the room when it [the unmasking] happened."[22]
Audience members had to place their phones in a specialmagnetic locked pouch when they were on set and were frequently swept throughout filming by security, which included formerASIO officials, for any devices and hidden cameras to ensure the masks' identities were kept secret.[20][23]
The costumes are designed and created byAustralianAcademy Award andBAFTA Award-Winning costume designerTim Chappel, best known for his work onThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert withLizzy Gardiner.[24][25]
Following the announcement of the series, it was confirmed byNetwork 10 that the judging panel would consist of international actress and singerLindsay Lohan, radio personalityJackie O, singer-songwriterDannii Minogue and comedianDave Hughes.[9] It was also confirmed thatOsher Günsberg would host the show.[26]
On 7 July 2020, it was revealed that Lohan would be unable to return to the judging panel in the second season, as she could not travel fromDubai toMelbourne because of theCOVID-19 pandemic and theimplementation of travel restrictions.[27] She was replaced forseason two by new panellist, comedianUrzila Carlson (due to her travelling back to USA).[13][14]
On 4 May 2022, it was announced onThe Kyle and Jackie O Show that Carlson would be leaving the show to focus on her comedy tour, with the possibility of Lohan returning after a two-season absence.[28] On 21 May, Minogue announced her departure from the show after three seasons, due to clashing commitments filming a new gay-dating show in the UK,I Kissed a Boy.[29] On 4 June, Jackie O announced she would also depart from the show.[30] On 9 June, Channel 10 announced that the three new panellists joining Dave Hughes for the fourth season would be television and radio presenterChrissie Swan, television personality and radio hostAbbie Chatfield and international singerMel B.
| Cast Member | Seasons | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2019) | 2 (2020) | 3 (2021) | 4 (2022) | 5 (2023) | ||
| Panel | ||||||
| Dannii Minogue | Main | Does not appear | ||||
| Jackie O | Main | Does not appear | ||||
| Dave Hughes | Main | |||||
| Lindsay Lohan | Main | Does not appear | ||||
| Nazeem Hussain | Guest | Does not appear | ||||
| Luke McGregor | Guest | Does not appear | ||||
| Urzila Carlson | Does not appear | Main | Does not appear | |||
| Chrissie Swan | Does not appear | Main | ||||
| Abbie Chatfield | Does not appear | Main | ||||
| Mel B | Does not appear | Main | ||||
| Host | ||||||
| Osher Günsberg | Main | |||||
| Series | Contestants | Episodes | Originally released | Winner | Runner-up | Third place | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||||||
| 1 | 12 | 10 | 23 September 2019 (2019-09-23) | 21 October 2019 (2019-10-21) | Cody Simpson as "Robot" | Rob Mills as "Wolf" | Gorgi Coghlan as "Monster" | |
| 2 | 12 | 11 | 10 August 2020 (2020-08-10) | 14 September 2020 (2020-09-14) | Bonnie Anderson as "Bushranger" | Kate Miller-Heidke as "Queen" | Eddie Perfect as "Frillneck" | |
| 3 | 12 | 11 | 13 September 2021 (2021-09-13) | 5 October 2021 (2021-10-05) | Anastacia as "Vampire" | Em Rusciano as "Dolly" | Axle Whitehead as "Mullet" | |
| 4 | 12 | 11 | 7 August 2022 (2022-08-07) | 28 August 2022 (2022-08-28) | Melody Thornton as "Mirrorball" | Sheldon Riley as "Snapdragon" | Hugh Sheridan as "Rooster" | |
| 5 | 13 | 12 | 11 September 2023 (2023-09-11) | 7 November 2023 (2023-11-07) | Dami Im as "Snow Fox" | Darren Hayes as "Grim Reaper" | Conrad Sewell as "Bouncer" | |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 9th AACTA Awards | Best Entertainment Program | The Masked Singer | Nominated | [31][32] |
| Best Costume Design in Television | Tim Chappel | Nominated | [33] | ||
| 2020 | 10th AACTA Awards | Nominated | [34] | ||
| 2021 | 11th AACTA Awards | Best Entertainment Program | The Masked Singer | Nominated | [35] |
| 2022 | 62nd Logie Awards | Most Popular Entertainment Program | Nominated | [36] | |
| Most Outstanding Entertainment or Comedy Program | Nominated | [36] | |||
| 2023 | 63rd Logie Awards | Gold Logie for Most Popular Television Personality | Osher Günsberg | Nominated | [37] |
| Most Outstanding Entertainment Program | The Masked Singer | Nominated | [38] |
In October 2019, American band Halocene claimed that the program had stolen "note for note, beat for beat" their arrangement of "Bad Guy" byBillie Eilish, which the Lion (Kate Ceberano) sang during the third episode.[39][40][41] The rock trio had released the cover on theirYouTube channel, which also included original melodies from an unreleased original song.[40][41] The band threatened legal action and set up aGoFundMe page, receiving support from their fans.[40][41]
