The Masked Singer Has Started Filming Season 4, but There's a Big Twist

The Masked Singer is wasting no time getting started on Season 4. As previously reported, Fox's smash-hit singing competition is scheduled to return this fall. When it does, the show will adhere to the "if it ain't broke" philosophy by keeping a lot of its existing components in place, but as executive producer Craig Plestis told TV Guide earlier this year, The Masked Singer will be switching up some elements too. Now, we're getting some initial clues about what some of those changes might look like. 

The Masked Singer's Costume Designer Teases What We'll See in Season 4 | TV Guide

Deadline reports that production on Season 4 of The Masked Singer is already underway, with "rigorous health and safety protocols in place." But the format itself is different: This time, fans will reportedly have the opportunity to influence the outcome of the show by voting on their favorite performances as part of a virtual audience. The votes will help determine who stays in the competition. This is a big departure from the format as we've always known it. The Masked Singer, which is pre-taped, previously didn't have any mechanism in place to allow fans to vote. There's no word yet exactly on how this change will be accomplished -- phone? Twitter? -- or if this means The Masked Singer is recording a bunch of extra performances that may never be seen if contestants are eliminated. But that just means Season 4 is going to be full of all types of mysteries -- aside from who's under those masks! 

The Masked Singer Season 4 is expected to premiere in September on Fox. 

PHOTOS: Every Celebrity Performer on The Masked Singer, Ranked