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“These guys got on and they just couldn’t handle the pace after 48 hours, which to me is a bit un-Australian,” Cam said. “Have a go!”
Nine teased the controversy in promotions ahead of the season launch, no doubt fuelling viewer interest.
Adding spice to the MKR recipe was a new judging line-up: Manu Feildel, who has been with the show for all 11 previous seasons, has been joined by Nigella Lawson, with former MasterChef judge Matt Preston set to join from the second round.
The new Masked Singer panel (from left): Mel B, Abbie Chatfield, Dave Hughes and Chrissie Swan.Credit:Network 10
And while Spicks and Specks made its long-hoped-for return last year with the original line-up of Adam Hills, Alan Brough and Myf Warhurst, this is the first season to have been recorded in front of a live audience since their reunion after a 10-year absence.
There was also another first for the ABC show: it screened an ad, or at any rate a snippet of one, to showcase guest contestant David Novak of the band Polish Club singing a cheesy duet for Domino’s Pizza.
With the shows staggered across the early evening – The Block and MKR started at 7pm, The Masked Singer at 7.30 and Spicks and Specks at 7.40 – competition for viewers was fierce.
MKR grabbed 767,000 viewers nationally to finish second of the reality shows on the night, though there were a couple of caveats. The unmasking segment of The Masked Singer, broken out as a separate program in the ratings figures, beat it, with 791,000 viewers nationally.
Long-term MKR host Manu Fieldel has been joined by Nigella Lawson.Credit:Seven Network
And while the main section of The Masked Singer finished well behind MKR with 689,000 viewers, it still won in the crucial metro markets (522,000 to MKR’s 503,000).
The Masked Singer was, however, down significantly on last year’s launch, when it opened with 642,000 viewers in the five capital cities in overnight ratings (later boosted to 709,000 after catch-up viewing).
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MKR, by contrast, was up on its last season in 2020, when it pulled just 498,000 metro viewers for its launch episode.
Spicks and Specks, meanwhile, drew 672,000 viewers nationally and 449,000 metro. That was a long way down from last year’s relaunch, which was watched by 953,000 nationally and 665,000 viewers in the five mainland capital cities alone.
Email the author at kquinn@theage.com.au, or follow him on Facebook at karlquinnjournalist and on Twitter @karlkwin.