Masked Singer Panellists Revealed

Jono Pryor, Paul Ego, Tami Neilson, Tofiga Fepulea’i and Kings will be the guest panellists on the next season of The Masked Singer NZ, when it premieres on July 24 (Three, 7.00).

Here’s the media release:

GUEST PANELLISTS REVEALED FOR THE NEW SEASON OF THE MASKED SINGER NZ

10 July 2022 – The celebrity-filled singing show that took New Zealand by storm is back and better than ever! After revealing The Masked Singer NZ’scelebrity guessing panel and host last week, Warner Bros. Discovery can today reveal the guest panellists who will decipher the clues and find out who’s under the mask when the series premieres on Three and ThreeNow on Sunday 24th July at 7pm.

Five celebrity panellists will join Sharyn Casey, James Roque and Anika Moa in guessing which local celebrities are singing under the unique and elaborate costumes. Jono Pryor, Paul Ego, Tami Neilson, Tofiga Fepulea’i and Kings will take turns on the panel as they guess alongside Kiwi audiences, and find out who’s bold enough to brave The Masked Singer NZ stage.

Host Clint Randell comments on the line-up: “I’m super excited that this year’s season of The Masked Singer NZ will feature a fourth guesser on our panel to spice things up! Between Tami, Paul, Tofiga, Kings and Jono there’s bound to be some crazy suggestions thrown around, which will no doubt keep audiences entertained.”

As a multi-award winning radio host and TV presenter, Jono Pryor started off his career with TV show The Jono Project, later combining forces with Ben Boyce for the comedy skit show Jono and Ben.  Jono’s career in radio includes a 15-year stint at The Rock, The Edge with fellow panellist Sharyn Casey, and now The Hits breakfast show alongside his long-time collaborator Boyce. Game for anything, Jono’s chilled-out energy and extensive music knowledge will make him a great asset to the guessing panel.

On joining the guessing panel, Jono says: “This show is incredible. The singing talent is set to be outstanding, the judges are knowledgeable, the only question that hangs over my head is why they thought of me!”

An award-winning veteran of the comedy scene, Paul Ego began his career in the 90s and has since become a household name. His work in radio kicked off his career and has scored him four wins at the NZ Radio Awards. While he might be widely known for his comedy career, Paul’s time in a band in the 80s might help him as he looks to figure out who’s under the mask.

Tami Neilson is a Canadian-born, New Zealand-based country and soul-singer, with a persona and voice that are both impossible to forget. With countless accolades under her belt, she’s been recognised by masters of the music industry, appeared in top ten lists across the world, and been the subject of music documentaries. A woman at the top of her game, Tami is ready to bring her infectious energy to the guessing panel.

Described as the king of comedy, Tofiga Fepulea’i has graced the screen and stage across Aotearoa and beyond for over 20 years, with his unique brand of Pacific Island-style humour. Kiwi-born Samoan Tofiga first rose to stardom in 2003, and has since worked in TV and film across the country, performed countless sold-out comedy shows, and taken home the honour of being the New Zealand International Comedy Festival’s highest-selling comic – so he’s set to bring a lot of laughs to The Masked Singer NZ.

The final guesser is hip-hop luminary Kings, who burst onto the music scene in 2016 with the release of his debut single Don’t Worry Bout It. After the single went triple-platinum and broke NZ chart records, Kings has dropped three albums, been recognised with numerous awards, and cemented himself as Aotearoa music royalty. He wowed audiences when he came fifth on The Masked Singer NZ in 2021 as ‘Monster’, and hopes his insider knowledge will help him to guess correctly this time around as he switches roles.

Premiering exclusively to Three and ThreeNow on Sunday 24th July at 7pm, The Masked Singer NZ is based on the South Korean series King Of Mask Singer, which has since inspired hugely popular American, British and Australian versions.