Panelist Ken Jeong misses an episode of The Masked Singer, but Joel McHale takes his place. It will also be Leslie Jordan’s final appearance.
The Masked Singer will be missing one of its regular panelists during the November 9 Hall of Fame episode due to Ken Jeong’s COVID-19 diagnosis. In The Masked Singer season 5, host Nick Cannon tested positive for COVID-19 a few days before the show was set to begin filming, and Niecy Nash filled in for him for the first five episodes. Nick made a triumphant return when he competed as Bulldog in the fifth episode and was unmasked, to the delight of his Masked Singer co-stars and fans.
In an Instagram post, Ken explained his upcoming absence from the November 9 Masked Singer Hall of Fame episode. He wrote, “Sadly you won’t be seeing my gorgeous face on this week’s Masked Singer as I had Covid but thankfully I got better super quickly, thank you vaccines!” Since this episode was already filmed, Ken currently does not have COVID-19. He then joked, “But fortunately Joel McHale showed up, although no one invited him.” Joel is a frequent Masked Singer guest panelist and previously appeared in nine episodes of the celebrity competition series.
The Masked Singer Hall Of Fame Night Is Leslie Jordan’s Final Episode
Ken then revealed that Hall of Fame Night will be beloved guest panelist Leslie Jordan’s final Masked Singer episode. He wrote, “Most importantly, this is our dear friend Leslie Jordan’s last appearance on the show, and we dedicate this episode in his honor. [Love] you Leslie. We can feel your love from above.” Leslie died on October 24 at the age of 67 when he suffered a suspected medical emergency and crashed his BMW into the side of a building. During The Masked Singer season 6, Leslie wore the Soft Serve mask and sang “This Little Light Of Mine” before revealing himself and joining Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, and Ken to watch the rest of the performances. He later returned as a guest panelist during The Masked Singer season 7.
Ken’s absence from The Masked Singer Hall of Fame Night will be deeply felt by fans. He is always entertaining, coming up with outrageous guesses for the contestants, which sometimes turn out to be correct. Even if his final guesses are wrong, he calls attention to clues that fans might otherwise have missed, making it easier for them to make their own guesses. Ken is known for his emotional responses to the contestants’ performances and enthusiastically cheering them on. He also has been known to cry when a competitor gives a particularly moving performance. Ken is a hilarious comedian, but he also has a sensitive side and balances both very well on The Masked Singer.
The Masked Singer Hall of Fame Night will introduce three new masked celebrities, who will begin the final round of the competition. Harp and the Lambs have already advanced to the semifinals, and there is only one more spot. It’s a shame that Ken missed out on watching this first group perform. It is also devastating that he did not have the chance to work with Leslie one last time. Fans are grateful that Ken made a speedy recovery and will rejoin the panel soon on The Masked Singer.
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on FOX.
