The Masked Singer Season 8 promised viewers an exciting and new approach to the unmasking process, and the change proved how unpredictable this season will be. The first episode featured a double reveal that partly resulted in Hedgehog, who ended up being Monty Python icon Eric Idle, going home. But he was not alone as another TV icon, William Shatner, got his golden mask dreams crushed as well. After his elimination, the Star Trek vet got the chance to spill about what he took away from his "unusual" experience on the show.
The former Masked Singer contestant made an impression on the viewers and panelists as Knight. As soon as he began singing the Fred Astaire classic “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” his talk-singing style stuck out, as judges Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger called him quickly. While his time on the singing competition was short-lived, Shatner seemed to enjoy his experience, calling it “the most extraordinary experience I’ve ever had.” But the 91-year-old actor did have one takeaway from his unique gig, saying to EW:
Well, I took away a limp from the costume. Some blood. [Laughs] Oh, I don't know. I took away one of the more unusual experiences I've ever had. … the truth of the matter is, my memory of everything there is clouded by how awkward and painful the situation I was in was. And the funny part is, that I had talked to a friend of mine that had been on the show before. And he said it was the worst experience of his life. I said, 'Oh, come on. You never had a baby.' And now I realized he's right. [Laughs] It was tough. That wardrobe was tough. And I think that's part of the show. Part of the fun of The Masked Singer is how awkward everybody feels. I heard somebody say they had a panic attack. And I was close to that myself, not being able to breathe.
It appeared that the Knight drew blood without a jousting match happening. Bleeding while trying to move and sing sounds quite excruciating. The panic attacks definitely happen as well. Unfortunately, that very thing happened during Bobby Brown’s experience as the Crab during Season 5. Having to move and sing in a concealing costume would be an inconvenient experience for anyone, especially someone in their 90s. The Captain Kirk isn't the first contestant to talk about those difficult costumes, but that’s part of The Masked Singer's allure.
William Shatner put the whole experience in perspective by saying that singing in a costume was near impossible. He even theorized that the show makes the costumes “so awkward” to keep everything fun and chaotic. The Boston Legal star made a counterintuitive suggestion by mentioning “they could have put somebody else inside and I could have sung it better [from off-stage].” While that is a sound idea, the show wouldn't be what it is if the competitors weren’t actually behind the mask.
Now that Knight and Hedgehog are out of the competition, viewers will have to wait until next Wednesday to find out who’s behind Hummingbird. The Masked Singer will air on Fox at 8 p.m. ET. If you want to keep up with new episodes and other TV shows, look over CinemaBlend's 2022 TV schedule.
