Photo: Instagram
Meet The Panda!
By Dominique McIntee — Written on Sep 25, 2019
It’s back and better than ever, baby! The highly anticipated season 2 of The Masked Singer will grace our screens tonight in a two-hour special on FOX, and the competition is even more fierce, packed with an entirely different crew of eclectic costumes and challenging clues designed to throw us and the judges off our A game.
It's no secret that showrunners viewed the "Masked Singer" concept as a big, but promising risk. ITV Studios America CEO David George touched on this further, stating in an article on Variety that, “there was a long period of time where not a lot of new hits were broken on broadcast. We live in an era where everything has to be a safe bet. Network executives take fewer chances. When something like ‘The Masked Singer’ comes along, it should signal to the marketplace that outside of the box is something good. We’re hopeful the pendulum is swinging back toward unscripted a little bit." Originating in South Korea, The Masked Singer garnered popularity for guiding viewers towards uncharted (but fun) territory. There, the show was considerably outlandish and downright bizarre; and yet, it amassed a large fandom rather quickly. As a result, the good ol' US of A followed suit, leading to a successful first season that injected buzz and excitement into the otherwise dull world of television.
Now, backed by popularity and high ratings, season two of The Masked Singer is bound to be more epic. Luckily for us, we'll be seeing the same set of faces (judges) as last season, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke, and may even have a newbie join us at some point; but not surprisingly, we as fans will be competely blindsided, according to executive producer Craig Plestis who told The Hollywood Reporter that "The one thing I want to try to work on in season two is that combination of giving enough clues out to America so they can be involved in it, but not giving so much that we give everything away."
Leading up to the premiere, FOX has kept us on our toes with sneak peak reveals of the brand new motley characters, encouraging fans to run wild with their predictions via social media, like the celebrity concealed as The Panda. So, when it comes to The Masked Singer spoilers: who is The Panda? Here’s what we know so far.
1. The Clues
We don’t get a whole bunch of clues from the minute teaser; however, there’s a few clues to unpack. From first impression, The Panda comes in hot, asserting from the get-go that they’re here create “total pandemonium” on stage; so clearly, The Panda has a strong personality. The Panda also adds, "The victory will taste sweet, like bamboo! Especially the way I prepare it.” In closing, the Panda states, “It's definitely hard to move around with this gigantic head on my shoulders, but I love new challenges and pushing myself to the limit. America, if you think you know who I am, trust me — I have you bamboozled."
2. The Judges' Guesses
Based on the preliminary clues alone, it’s been speculated that The Panda is a celebrity chef, or someone who is at the very least well known for their cooking. Still, it’s pretty early to tell, and anything is possible.
3. Other Guesses
Not surprisingly, fans think the celeb behind The Panda is a chef. Several names in the cooking world have been tossed around social media, including Rosanna Pansino, Chloe Kim, Rachael Ray and Bethenny Frankel.
4. The Best Guess
So far, the best guess seems to be Bethenny Frankel. For starters, Frankel has cemented an enduring career in the natural food space. She’s the founder & CEO of Skinnygirl, the lifestyle brand that’s been hailed for its delicious low-cal food and drink options, and Bethenny Bakes, her healthy baked goods service. One user on Twitter even pointed out that, “Bethenny wanted her, Jason & Brynn to dress as pandas their first Halloween." Seems promising, but we’ll have to wait and see how the season unfolds.
Do you think The Panda is Bethenny Frankel?
Dominique is an unapologetic Scorpio (BIG co-star girl), reality TV loving heathen, and twentysomething, NYC-based writer with a moderately interesting life, knack for editing, and passion for content creation. Though no one asked, all opinions and words are her own and authentic— topics ranging from fashion and food, to beauty, lifestyle, music and everything in between.