08-05-2025
‘How dare you!': ‘The Masked Singer's' Ken Jeong on 13 seasons of wacky fun, his favorite reveal of all time, and Emmys
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Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
Welcome to Reality Derby, our weekly deep dive into all things reality TV, hosted by Gold Derby senior editors Marcus James Dixon and Denton Davidson.
Joining us this week is The Masked Singer's Ken Jeong, who discusses working alongside host Nick Cannon and panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, and Rita Ora on Season 13 of the Fox reality competition show. Watch our video interview above as he discusses how he landed the ultimate gig, who his favorite reveal of all time is, and if reality TV judges deserve their own Emmy category.
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"My sitcom Doctor Ken had just gotten canceled, and so I was doing a lot of different jobs," Jeong tells Reality Derby. "Whether it be supporting roles in movies, doing stand up comedy, or working on my Netflix special. And then this just kind of came across my desk."
The comedian reveals his stint on another reality competition show is what ultimately led to interest in him joining The Masked Singer. "I was a guest panelist on America's Got Talent and and I had a blast," Jeong says. "It was my first time doing a panel show. I was hesitant to join The Masked Singer because it really wasn't a goal of mine. But it was my mom — I'm from Korean descent — my mom watches The Masked Singer. It was the number one show [in Korea] and my mom was like, 'You should totally do this show. It will change your career.' Thirteen seasons later, here we are talking about it."
Jeong calls Season 13 the best yet — and he particularly enjoyed dressing up as Lord Farquaad during "Shrek Night." When asked about is "ridiculous" costume, Jeong fires back with his signature line — "How dare you!"
"That was sincere," he jokes. "That was supposed to be my dramatic performance. It was so enjoyable. Actually, all credit goes to the producers. They suggested that I dress up as Lord Farquaad. I wasn't even thinking about dressing up in character. I think I just rehearsed it on the day — kind of did it on the fly. It just kind of exploded."
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To date, over 200 celebrities have been unmasked on The Masked Singer — from Grammy recipients to Oscar winners — but Jeong's favorite reveal of all time had a personal connection. "Still Margaret Cho from the first season," he declares. "We're good, dear friends. She's, a role model for me. When I was in college, I was her opening act. She's one of my heroes and I know her so well. She played my sister on Doctor Ken."
Cho performed as Poodle on Season 1 of The Masked Singer and was unmasked on Episode 4. Prior to her reveal, Jeong guessed the crooning canine was Melissa Rivers. "The look on my face of embarrassment," Jeong recounts. "When Margaret said, 'I was really surprised that you did not know,' on air in front of the audience — the Korean shame was real."
When asked if the Emmys should expand the awards to include a prize for reality TV panelists, Jeong says he's happy with the recognition The Masked Singer has already received. "To get awards and to get nominated is such a big honor, but truthfully, the work to me is the reward. Just getting a job is a reward. For me to do this for 13 seasons — I don't think about awards, I don't think about fame, I don't think about glory. I really think the contestants and the costumes are the stars of the show."
When reminded that he's talking to Gold Derby, Jeong takes it all back, confessing, "Awards matter!"
The Masked Singer has won two Emmys to date — both for Best Costumes for a Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Program. The Season 13 finale airs Wednesday, May 7 on Fox.
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