The Masked Singer US season 8: who was unmasked, next episode, new format and everything we know

The beloved Fox mystery singing competition, The Masked Singer, is in its eighth season with a brand new format that has reignited the passion for this unusual reality series. There were also new masks, lots of cameo appearances by your favorite unmasked singers from previous seasons and new theme nights to keep things interesting. 

Unlike other singing competitions, The Masked Singer sets itself apart with celebrity guests hidden in some of the most outlandish and unique costumes you’ve ever seen. With their identities hidden, it’s up for fans and the judges to determine who is inside. Votes are tallied each week as to who continues and who is voted off the show.

Here’s what we know about The Masked Singer season 8.  

Next episode and who was unmasked on The Masked Singer season 8

Thanks to the show's new format (see below for an explanation), more celebrities are unmasked each week as part of the King or Queen of the Hill structure.

It's time for The Masked Singer finale! The finalists have been set and it's time to see who will take home the crown!

The two-part finale will feature a look back at the contestants from season 8, followed by the final battle royale between Harp and Lambs. 

Finalists: Harp and Lambs 

Here's everything we know about The Masked Singer season 8 finalists.

The Masked Singer week 1: A Royal Season Premiere
Airdate September 21, 2022
"Four celebrities perform, with only one contestant moving on to the next week."
Who performed: Knight, Hedgehog, Hummingbird and Harp
Who moves on: Harp
Who was unmasked: Knight (William Shatner) and Hedgehog (Eric Idle); Hummingbird will be revealed in week 2

The Masked Singer week 2: Vegas Night
Airdate September 28, 2022
"Blue Man Group, jugglers and more visit the show to welcome two new celebrity singers for their first performances of the season; two new characters enter the game and two are unmasked."
Who performed: Harp, Panther, Pi-Rat
Who moves on: Harp
Who was unmasked: Hummingbird (Chris Kirkpatrick), Panther (Montell Jordan) and Pi-Rat (Jeff Dunham)

The Masked Singer week 3: TV Theme Night
Airdate October 5, 2022
"Two new celebrity singers enter the competition and perform iconic theme songs from TV shows throughout history; two unmaskings."
Who performed: Harp, Mummies, Fortune Teller
Who moves on: Harp
Who was unmasked: The Mummies (Brady Bunch stars Barry Williams, Christopher Knight, Mike Lookinland) and Fortune Teller (Daymond John)

The Masked Singer week 4: Andrew Lloyd Webber Night
Airdate: October 19, 2022
Who performed: Robo Girl, Mermaid, Maize
Who moves on: Robo Girl
Who was unmasked: Mermaid (Gloria Gaynor) and Maize (Mario Cantone)

The Masked Singer week 5: Muppets Night
Airdate: October 26, 2022
Who performed: Robo Girl, Lambs, Beetle
Who moves on: Lambs
Who was unmasked: Robo Girl (Kat Graham) and Beetle (Jerry Springer)

The Masked Singer week 6: 90s Night
Airdate: November 6, 2022
Who performed: Lambs, Milkshake, Walrus
Who moves on: Lambs
Who was unmasked: Walrus (Joey Lawrence) and Milkshake (Le'Veon Bell)

The Masked Singer week 6: Hall of Fame Night
Airdate: November 9, 2022
Who performed: Venus Flytrap, Bride and Gopher
Who moves on: Bride
Who was unmasked: Venus Flytrap (George Foreman) and Gopher (George Clinton)

The Masked Singer week 7: Comedy Roast Night
Airdate: November 16, 2022
Who performed: Bride, Avocado and Snowstorm
Who moves on: Snowstorm
Who was unmasked: Bride (Chris Jericho) and Avocado (Adam Carolla)

The Masked Singer week 8: Fright Night
Airdate: November 23, 2022
Who performed: Snowstorm, Sir Bugaboo, Scarecrow
Who moves on: Snowstorm
Who was unmasked: Sir Bugaboo (Ray Parker, Jr.) and Scarecrow (Linda Blair)

The Masked Singer week 8: Semifinals
Airdate: November 24, 2022
Who performed: Harp, Lambs, Snowstorm
Who moves on: Harp, Lambs
Who was unmasked: Snowstorm (Nikki Glaser)

When is The Masked Singer season 8 release date? 

The Masked Singer returned for season 8 on Wednesday, September 21, at 8 pm ET/PT. It serves as the lead-in show for Lego Masters, which airs at 9 pm ET/PT. 

What is the new format of The Masked Singer season 8?

There's going to be a big change coming to The Masked Singer in season 8 as the show's format shifts to a King/Queen of the Hill format.

The new format will last for three rounds of three episodes and the winner will move on to the semifinal round. In each episode, one of the three competitors will be eliminated early on and then the final two will compete in a "Battle Royale," after which one will be unmasked and the other will move on." There can be three or four singers per episode and there will be new masked competitors each week. 

Executive producer Craig Plestis talked to Entertainment Weekly about the changes. "So there's the [first] three episodes, we get a king or queen. We do another three episodes, we get another king or queen. Another three episodes, you get another king or queen. So that's how we get to our three finalists for the semifinals," he explained. 

There will also be themed episodes that determine the song choices for a given night, in addition to the costumes and set designs. All of this will likely offer hints as to the identity of the singers behind the masks. 

"We've upped the ante a little bit with these themes to make it easier for the home audience to play along," said Plestis. "If it is a Vegas night or if it is a, whatever theme it might be, it helps you with the clue and the guessing games as well."

Who is in The Masked Singer season 8 cast? 

Who’s in The Masked Singer season 8? Somehow, after all of these seasons, the show has managed to keep the stars a secret (save for the Rudy Giuliani leak). It’s actually pretty amazing when you think about it. 

The Masked Singer season 8 costumes

The Masked Singer has been slowly rolling out the competitors for the new season. 

Thus far, we've seen Venus Fly Trap, Sir Bug-A-Boo, Scarecrow, Hedgehog, Harp, Knight, Hummingbird and a trio of Mummies. Not surprisingly, they're some of the most elaborate costumes we've seen yet. But who's inside???

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Who are The Masked Singer season 8 judges and host? 

Deadline reported in May that the familiar team of judges will return for The Masked Singer season 8. That includes Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke and Ken Jeong. Nick Cannon is expected to return as the host.  

As with previous seasons, fans can expect to see lots of surprise guest judges throughout the season as well. 

Is there a trailer for The Masked Singer season 8? 

A preview for The Masked Singer season 8 features a closer look at the theme nights that are part of the show's new format. As you can see, everything about the new season is bigger than ever before, with more unmaskings, more breathtaking performances, more celebrity guests and more surprises in store.

The Masked Singer's official Twitter account also shared a promo where it's all about more, more, more in The Masked Singer season 8. The new promo highlights more performances, more stars, more costumes and two unmaskings in each episode.

Who won The Masked Singer season 7?

Fans were ecstatic when the mysterious Firefly was the last singer to be unmasked in season 7. Firefly ended up being none other than singer-songwriter Teyana Taylor, who dazzled the judges and the audience with her beautiful voice. 

During her victory speech, Taylor talked about the experience and what it meant to her. 

"It feels so good to win this and it’s crazy because I was so passionate from day one, I think it’s because of my journey in music and me being skeptical about coming out of retirement and doing it," Taylor said.

She also appreciated the ability to return to the stage without "politics or judgement."

How to watch The Masked Singer season 8

The Masked Singer airs on Fox, which is included with most cable providers. If you’ve cut the cord, you can access the channel through live TV providers like FuboTV, Hulu Plus Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV. 

Past seasons of The Masked Singer are available to stream on Hulu, as will the latest episodes of The Masked Singer season 8.