Source: Entertainment Weekly

For the first time in show history, viewers won’t be asking “Who is that?” under one of the disguises on The Masked Singer season 14 — they’ll already know.

Yes, before the season has even started, a celebrity contestant has unmasked themself in a new twist for the series, but don’t worry, it was all part of the plan. Let’s explain.

The official Instagram account for the show started teasing what is being dubbed “America’s Insider” — a contestant who will make herself known to the world before the new season airs on Jan. 7, but who will be completely unknown to the show’s panel, cast, and crew per usual — in a video shared on Monday.

That clip showed someone in the series’ classic “Don’t Talk to Me” full-body disguise doing stretches, with the caption revealing that viewers will “know who is under one of the masks, and follow their journey as no one on the cast or crew knows.”

Today, that person made themself known to the world, and she is none other than singer and Descendants star Kylie Cantrall. On her own Instagram account, Cantrall announced the news with a fun video from backstage.

“No, this is not a joke,” she began. “For literally the first time ever, I’m gonna be bringing you guys in on the entire process as I bring you behind the scenes.”

As for the show’s host and panelists, she teased, “I’ll be working for [the viewers] and sharing my strategy to throw off Nick [Cannon], Robin [Thicke], Jenny [McCarthy-Wahlberg], Ken [Jeong], and my onscreen mom, Rita [Ora].” (Cantrall has appeared as Red, the daughter of Ora’s Queen of Hearts, in both 2024’s Descendants: The Rise of Red and the upcoming Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.)

She continued, “They have no idea this is happening. It’s the biggest secret ever. The Masked Singer has always been one of my favorite shows, and I’m so excited to be a part of it, especially as America’s Insider. It’s never been done before, and I can’t believe I’m doing it.”

Cantrall added that fans should tune into the premiere and promised she’d be “posting something on my page and maybe spilling some tea” from the show in the future. As for which of the masks she will be competing under, viewers will have to wait until the premiere to find out, but Cantrall will provide clues beforehand, naturally.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.

For those wondering how it’s possible that Cannon and the panelists won’t know who she is given today’s pre-premiere announcement, remember, episodes of The Masked Singer are taped months before they air. In fact, season 14 already wrapped filming before the time of this reveal. So, with today’s news, viewers will now know this contestant’s identity as the season unfolds in the new year, but it will be a complete surprise to everyone on the show — it’s a bit like Masked Singer time travel.

Tune in to find out who else is competing this year on The Masked Singer when season 14 debuts on Fox at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.