Drake Bell Calls 'The Masked Singer' a 'Totally Freeing Experience' After Headline-Making Year

The Masked Singer came at the right time for Drake Bell. The former child star had been thrust into the spotlight earlier in the year due to his shocking appearance on the documentary Quiet on Set. And, while the reality show would be a change of routine for the actor and singer, it surprisingly wasn’t a new experience. Only a year prior, he had been on the Mexican version of The Masked Singer as their version of “Baby Alien.” So it was far from an alien concept for him to don the cool costume of “Ice King.” Unfortunately, he was not able to make good on his second chance on the Masked Singer stage, getting eliminated after two rounds.

After his reveal, Drake Bell spoke to Parade about his time on The Masked Singer.

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Related: Everything to Know About The Masked Singer Season 12

As you mentioned in the most recent clue package, it’s been a big year for you in many ways. What made you decide to include The Masked Singer in your 2024?
Well, fortunately, I had the opportunity to do The Masked Singer in Mexico, and so I had a little bit of an edge coming in. But then the American Masked Singer, I was really surprised when they reached out. And having done it before, and having an awesome experience, I jumped out. I was like, “Yeah, absolutely! Let’s do it again.”

So did your previous time on The Masked Singer help you prepare for the pressure of doing the experience again?
Yeah, totally. And I loved my on the Mexican version, and so I was excited. I was really excited to see the costume for the American version. And I was blown away when I first saw it. It’s just a really fun experience, because it takes you out of your element. It really is. You have no idea who the other contestants are. You’re from head to toe from the second you leave your hotel. So you get to play the game along with the game. Even though the second you get up, you’re in vocal rehearsal, you’re in dance rehearsal, you’re in costume fittings, you’re in everything. And I’m not a dancer. I don’t do choreography on stage; I hide behind my guitar. And so it really allows me to come out of my element. And even though it’s a lot of work, it’s fun, because you’re sitting there going, “Who is that? What is that? Is that an athlete? That sounds like somebody.” So you get to play the game along with it. So it’s a lot of fun.

Without saying too much, how were your guesses about your fellow Group C competitors?
I don’t know. I have no idea who’s coming up. I have absolutely no idea. I have no clue who the other contestants are.

Going back to your clue package, it’s been a very big year for your personally. So I would imagine The Masked Singer was a nice opportunity to divorce you as a performer from everything associated with your name, a nice chance to be anonymous and do what you love to do: Sing.
No, you’re totally right. It really is freeing. Because if I was there without the mask and doing these dance moves and singing these songs I wouldn’t normally sing, you’re way more apprehensive. But you get to really lose yourself in the character. And the Ice King was such a fun character. I had the big cape and all the snow around me and everything. So it really allowed me to just lose myself in the character and not feel inhibited about whatever I was doing, just concerned about getting the right singing the right notes. But other than that, it was a totally freeing experience.

In your opinion, what’s the biggest difference between the Mexican and American versions of The Masked Singer?
You know, they’re pretty similar. I mean, how secretive everything is, how who love the other contestants are I think the American one is a little more rigorous. It’s a little more “boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.” You really have to be on your toes. You really have to be rested. Get in, get your song, go home, learn it, get to bed, wake up in the morning, get to rehearsal, learn your choreography. I think it’s a little bit more fast-paced and on your toes in the American version.

Well you certainly kept the judges on their toes in the initial round of guessing. What was your reaction to them thinking you were people like Joe Jonas, Shia LaBeouf, and Mr. Beast?
It was really fun hearing, “Okay, who do they think I sound like? Who do they think I am? Who do they think I move like?” But it was also really cool to hear people like Pete Wentz or Joe Jonas. They’re really great performers and great singers, and so it was cool to to kind of get linked to them. I grew up on the panel, you know? I mean, I’m fans of the panel. So there’s no way my name’s even going to come into their mind, they don’t know who I am. And so when they actually my name started coming up, I was like, “No way. Really? That’s amazing.”

When Jenny is able to guess you correctly, were you happy they knew you, to your point? Or was the competitive side of you unhappy you couldn’t evade them?
I think it was a little bit of both. And I don’t know if it was like, “Thank God. It was more of like, “Wow, Jenny McCarthy knows who I am! I watched you on Singled Out. This is wild!” And then also, I am very competitive. So every time someone guessed me wrong, I’m like, “Yeah, come on, keep the wrong guesses coming!”

Speaking to that sense of competition, were you surprised to be eliminated after two rounds?
I wasn’t really that surprised. I mean, I was like, “How am I gonna sing Miley?” [Laughs.] It’s so out of my range. So I wasn’t too surprised.

You’ve done two seasons of The Masked Singer, and you did a celebrity season of The Challenge in the past. Are you looking to do more reality TV in the future?
I mean, if it’s something fun like The Masked Singer. The competition shows, they’re a little rough. But The Masked Singer is getting to go up and play. So, I mean to globe trot around and do The Masked Singer, it’d be a lot of fun. Right now, I am actually globe trotting. I’m in Latin America right now doing on tour, doing my South America Central America leg for my new album, “Non-Stop Flight.” So right now, that’s my focus.

You had a Drake and Josh co-star appear on the show earlier in the season in Yvette Nicole Brown. Though you two never interacted in the season, what was your reaction to finding out she was on?
It was really rad to be able to see her on there and reach out and be like, “Oh my gosh!” I mean, I couldn’t say, “Dude, you were on the show too! That’s so cool.” I can’t do that. So it was just kind of like, “Whoa. I just saw you on The Masked Singer. That’s so amazing. But there was no way I was allowed to say, “Oh, that’s so rad you were on here too. I had no idea!”

Are there are any other people you’ve worked with that you would want to see on The Masked Singer?
I think Jerry Trainor would be really fun one. Obviousl Josh, Miranda. I think that any, any, any one of those, I’d really love to see. I think it’d be really funny. Jonathan Goldstein, who played my dad on Drake and Josh, I think he would be really funny on the show. He’s a great singer and performer as well.

Next, check out our interview with Bethany Hamilton, who was eliminated in The Masked Singer Season 12 Episode 7.