The Masked Singer is now well into Season 2, and to its credit, the identity of a contestant has not been leaked. Sure, the show still needs to work on its clue game and try to make those a bit more difficult to prevent the viewers from figuring things out, but to date, the singing series has done a phenomenal job in ensuring figuring out the contestants involves puzzle solving and not leaked photos.
How does The Masked Singer accomplish this? The Eagle, who was recently unmasked on the show and revealed to be radio host and television personality Dr. Drew Pinsky, shared the pretty extreme way the competition keeps the names and faces under the masks under wraps.
You had to sign an NDA. My wife signed an NDA, I signed an NDA. They're very serious about it. And you are cloaked from the moment you sit in the car to come into the studio. They don't use your name, nobody uses your name the whole season. They use your -- they call you the Eagle. You don't know who anybody else is, you have no idea what's coming.
Dr. Drew said he and his wife initially planned on keeping their kids in the dark, but told Entertainment Tonight his cover was blown when his son got suspicious about a vocal coach visiting the home three times a week. Once he was confronted, Pinsky said he whipped out the NDA sheet and his son was in on the secret as well. It seems extreme, but what better way to convince others to keep a secret than with a legal contract?
The Masked Singer isn't just strict with contestants' friends and family either. Dr. Drew Pinsky said that once he arrived on the set he had to be fully covered. Given the wild measures instilled on set, I'm now more inclined to believe host Nick Cannon when he says he doesn't know who these folks are in advance!
The moment you leave your front door you're in a hoodie and a mask. They won't let you show skin, you have white clothes on so they don't know what race you are or anything, and you're not allowed to speak. You do not speak when spoken to, you don't say a word until you enter your trailer. Then somebody comes into the trailer, you leave the trailer and go to the stage, and you're not allowed to speak to anybody until you start singing.
Somewhere between that they get into costume, which for Dr. Drew Pinsky was an Eagle who looked like someone who would've been spotted at Woodstock back in the day. Pinsky said he had originally gone into the show hoping to do some opera (he'd done opera in college), but the look of the Eagle demanded a more rock-n-roll persona. Unfortunately, his rocker skills weren't as great as his competitors, and he ended up being unmasked after losses to the Flower and Penguin.
It all sounds difficult, but what was the hardest part of The Masked Singer process for Dr. Drew? Pinsky revealed the "no talking" rule meant staying completely silent when people went out of their way to help him, which was hard.
There were people I wanted to thank, that I was grateful for, and I couldn't do that. I'd have to find a producer and they would go thank so and so, otherwise I couldn't even communicate to anybody. It's weird.
Ignoring people's kindness wouldn't be that hard for all people, but Dr. Drew apparently felt so bad he'd later ask producers to thank the people helping him. Now that he's out of the competition he's free to give all the thanks he want to everyone, and even showcase those opera skills he originally intended on busting out on The Masked Singer. Sadly, that doesn't seem like it will happen as Pinsky looked at his decision to not sing opera as "very wise."
Is Mariah Carey On The Masked Singer Season 2? Her Response Is Classic Mimi
The Masked Singer airs on Fox Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. CinemaBlend is the place to be for updates on the competition, and for a look at what else is happening in the world of movies and television.
