Yes, Fox really did just order a 'Masked Singer' spinoff with an even more ridiculous name
You've seen anonymous celebrities, some more famous than others, belt pop songs while encased in massive felt costumes. Now, are you ready to watch them dance?
Who knows whether Fox ever really expected "The Masked Singer" to be such a hit, but one year after the show's debut, the network has officially ordered a spinoff aptly titled "The Masked Dancer": Contestants clothed in over-the-top ensembles will dance their hearts out as viewers try to guess who they are.
It will be, of course, significantly more difficult to identify people solely by their body movements. But the oddball idea was already successfully executed by Ellen DeGeneres, who debuted a spoof segment of the same name on her show in 2019. She'll serve as an executive producer on the new series.
"We’re still blown away by 'The Masked Singer's massive impact on pop culture, but when Ellen debuted her own inventive segment, ‘The Masked Dancer,’ on her show, we were truly amazed," Fox exec Rob Wade said in a statement. "We are thrilled to partner with Ellen on this new format and take ‘The Masked Dancer’ to a whole new creative level."
The first season of "The Masked Singer" was a runaway hit with contestants ranging from NFL stars to a Grammy-winning rapper. Season 2 debuted just a few months later with competitors including Patti LaBellle, Dr. Drew Pinsky and Paul Shaffer.
Although her own talk show takes up most of her time, DeGeneres has demonstrated a clear interest in game shows and reality competitions. The third season of her NBC program "Ellen's Game of Games," during which participants have to advance through a series of high-energy challenges, premieres this week.
