Dick Van Dyke may have shocked “The Masked Singer” judges — but the real surprise is that the TV legend never wanted to do the show in the first place.
Dick Van Dyke Opens Up About His Experience on ‘The Masked Singer’
Ahead of his milestone 100th birthday, the “Mary Poppins” actor penned a memoir titled “100 Rules of Living to 100.”
In the series of short essays, Van Dyke opened up about his time on “The Masked Singer.”
“The producers of ‘The Masked Singer’ had been trying to get me on their show for years, but [my wife] Arlene always turned them down,” he explained. “The whole thing just weirded us out.”
Viewers — as well as the judges — were shocked when Van Dyke was revealed as the Gnome during the premiere episode of season 9 in 2023, a costume he came to love despite feeling “claustrophobic” inside.
Van Dyke likened the show’s reveals to “a game of strip poker,” as his wife said it “felt like the end of the world.”
So why the change of heart?
The comedian explained, “In 2023, the producers offered so much money we couldn’t say no.”
“Hands down, the show was the most bizarre performance of my life–so much over-the-top pagentry!” he recalled. “But you take all the balloons out of it, and the overflow of love on that soundstage was very real.”
Dick Van Dyke Returned to ‘The Masked Singer’ Stage
The judges’ reactions to the Tony winner’s reveal were legendary.
Ken Jeong hopped onto the judges’ table, while Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger was moved to tears.
“You are one of the reasons that I got into comedy,” the “Hangover” star said.
Nicole added, “I love you so much. The whole world loves you so much. It’s an honor to have you on our show.”
“We are in the presence of an icon, ladies and gentlemen,” host Nick Cannon said. “This is the most seasoned and decorated entertainer we have had on our show.”
He continued, “You made the whole world smile once again.”
It seems Van Dyke couldn’t stay away from the stage, as the following year, he returned to the show as an ambassador.
“To me, that was one of the greatest reveals and greatest performances that we’ve had on the show,” host Nick Cannon told Us Weekly in September 2024. “For him to come back and be an ambassador was really cool.”
