During the season premiere of The Masked Singer on Fox, Kevin Hart surprised everyone by revealing himself as the contestant behind the Book costume. The 44-year-old comedian, the final performer of the evening, appeared on stage disguised as a book, complete with a mustache, bookworm, and books for feet. Throughout his performance of Ne-Yo’s “So Sick,” hints dropped by “Book” included references to his trouble-making brother, a detective’s badge, an open mic night sign, and boasting about box office success exceeding ‘four billiоn dollars.’

Panelists, including Robin Thicke and Rita Ora, quickly caught on to Hart’s identity, laughing along with the audience as he performed. After the song ended, Hart removed his mask, revealing his true self and jokingly apologizing to host Nick Ca𝚗𝚗on for brеaki𝚗g the rules. 

Despite Ca𝚗𝚗on’s protestations about the prank, Hart remained unrepentant, even insisting that his intentionally poor performance was part of the joke. The segment ended with Hart leaving the stage amidst laughter and applause, still wearing the book-themed costume.

The premiere also featured other masked contestants, including “Goldfish,” “Starfish,” “ᴜgly Sweater,” and “Lovebird,” each delivering performances and clues for the panelists to decipher. Rita Ora even surprised the audience by revealing herself as one of the panelists after her performance. With guesses ranging from Lea Michele to Charlie Wilson, the guessing game continued as the episode concluded, leaving viewers eager for more masked mysteries to unravel in the episodes to come.