Dave Hughes has told listeners of 2Day FM’s Hughesy, Ed and Erin show that “as far as I know, The Masked Singer won’t be filmed this year for Channel 10.”
Hughes has been a judge on all five seasons of the Australian iteration of the show, telling his radio co-hosts: “We’ve been waiting on a production schedule. That production schedule has not come through.”
In a statement, a Network 10 spokesperson told Mediaweek: “We are currently confirming our program schedule for the second half of the year, with announcements being made soon.”
Reflecting on his time on the show, Hughes went on to say The Masked Singer has “been such a fun show to be on,” and that the decision was “a tough one for the production team.”
“So many great singers have been on. We’ve had great panels. We started with Jackie O, Dannii Minogue, Lindsay Lohan, then Urzila Carlson came in. We’ve got Abbie Chatfield, Chrissy Swan, Mel B. All stars in their own right.”
Hughes said that in a discussion he had with Chatfield and host Osher Günsberg, the feeling amongst the show’s stars was “flat”, adding, “apparently it’s an expensive show to produce.”
“I think it will come back, I don’t know when, but I’d say that for the Channel 10 budget this year – doesn’t have enough money for it,” he said.
This week, TV Tonight reported that the show’s producers, Warner Bros TV, have been “gauging interest from rival networks”.
In the finale of the 2023 season, Snow Fox was unmasked to see Dami Im crowned the winner of The Masked Singer Australia.
The Eurovision star won the title ahead of platinum-selling recording artist and songwriter Darren Hayes (Grim Reaper) and award-winning performer Conrad Sewell (Bouncer).
See also: Behind the Mask: Peeking into the top secret backend of The Masked Singer Australia