The premiere of the masked singer’s 5th season reveals the snail’s identity

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not seen the premiere of season 5 of “The Masked Singer”, which aired on March 10 on Fox.

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

You read that right. The producers of “The Masked Singer” were overreacting this season as a “game changer”, and kicking off with a Muppet definitely lives up to that.

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

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 is a pity that McCarthy Wahlberg did not go with her intuition, as she even made a joke after Snail’s presentation that “he is pushing the sound of Kermit the Frog”.

Of course, in reality, Caco has been voiced by Matt Vogel full-time since 2017, which means it was probably him controlling and voicing Caco no Caracol.

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

Snail’s idea came from the producers’ desire to create a costume that “was a total surprise,” said Plestis. “In other words, you couldn’t tell by the costume whether the celebrity was male or female, tall or short, big or small, whatever. So, we gave that idea to our Emmy award-winning costume designer Marina Toybina, and she followed it ”.

Kermit was ready to sing “I’m a Believer” on his second number if he had returned. Here was the narration of Caco’s packet of clues, and now that you know who it is – it makes sense: “Hello, everyone! You know, I acted, directed, produced, recorded albums and even studied on the Oscar stage. I’m used to everyone from Robert DeNiro and Lady Gaga to Michelle Obama. And well, you can say that I am best known for appreciating the talent of the people around me. Here, I want to show those severe critics who have followed me throughout my career that I can shine on my own. And now I can’t wait to get there and make a snail, you know? “

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

Another novelty this season, the “wildcard” competitors will be introduced to the competition and will join the battle for the gold mask trophy. Season 5 celebrity contestants will be divided into two groups of five (A and B), but the new masked celebrities will enter the “wildcard” rounds and will also compete. In addition, the show added a new character, a rooster called “Cluedle-Doo”, which promises to add some antics to the process and share additional clues for viewers.

“The Masked Singer” remains without a real audience in the studio, but instead, scenes of reaction from previous seasons. Voting at home also takes place through a network of “Masked Singer” superfans, who watched the episodes recorded in closed circuit.

This season’s costumes include Raccoon, Sea Shell, Black Swan, Snail, Grandpa’s Monster, Phoenix, Chameleon, Russian Doll (s), Hedgehog, The Piglet and the wild cards.

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

The speakers at the show are also competing for a “Golden Ear” trophy based on their first impressions of each masked artist (which McCarthy won last time) – For Caracol, Thicke was Seth MacFarlane; Jeong called Jay Leno; McCarthy Wahlberg and Scherzinger went with Adam Corolla. None of them are right.

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

Russian doll (s) (two contestants)

Song: “Man in the Mirror”, by Michael Jackson
Cluedle-Doo tracks for you: “A Russian doll can sometimes have 15 replicas of itself.”
Voice-over: “I have been doing my own thing for some time. Not like in the beginning, when I was the hottest toy in the world. Those were the days. But I knew it was something more than someone to play with, a puppet. And as much as they tried to put me in a box, I just didn’t fit. Newer, brighter manufactured toys filled the shelves. So, I was thrown to the side. And it was the best thing ever. It turns out that I can still sell without being completely sold out. And I am ready to show that there is even more under the surface. “
Panel guesses: Boyz II Men; Vanessa Hudgens; Darren Criss, Matthew Morrison, Kevin McHale or other “Glee” stars; Gwen Stefani and No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont

seashell

Song: “Listen to Your Heart,” by Roxette
Cluedle-Doo tracks for you: “No two shells are the same.”
Voice-over: “When I was young, I was pulled by the tide around the world with my family. Always adrift, I never felt terrified. So, I found my peace on the coast. When my career took off, it was like a huge successful tsunami. But much like my childhood, I still drift. Wearing many hats, I often wonder if I have found my true calling. That’s why I’m here. I’m nervous, I haven’t sung in a long time, but I wanted to face my fears. And tonight, I hope you choose this shell forever. “
Panel guesses: Kristen Chenoweth, Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt

Raccoon

Song: “Wild Thing”, by Troggs
Cluedle-Doo tracks for you: “Raccoon is known to be sharp.”
Voice-over: “Sometimes, to get the happy ending, you have to go through hell first. In my darkest days, I faced death. Desperate to maintain my sanity, I recited my favorite story, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame ”. I was Quasimodo, locked up. The only difference was that he was innocent, while I was actually a monster. I promised God that if I had a second chance at life, I would do good. And I am still keeping that promise to this day. “
Panel guesses: Gary Busey, Nick Nolte, Mike Tyson, Joe Pesci, Danny DeVito

Porcupine / ”Robopine”

Song: “Never Too Much”, by Luther Vandross
Cluedle-Doo tracks for you: “Hedgehog is skilled at not becoming a dead animal on the road.”
Voice-over: “I may look prickly, but don’t be afraid. Where I came from, I was forced to grow thick feathers. I was left to fend for myself, with nothing but a dream. So, I went on a mission to get on the Hollywood radar. I used 411 day and night just to make a connection. Until a certain angel said ‘hello’. This random call changed everything. Now, I’m on my next assignment. And when I’m thinking about something, no one can touch me. “
Panel guesses: Jamie Foxx, Idris Elba, Lionel Richie, Ginuwine