Ne-Yo “easily lost” 20 pounds while performing in the Cow suit in The Masked Singer.
During the season 10 finale of The Masked Singer on Wednesday, the Miss Independent hitmaker was announced as the winner and revealed by the Cow suit.
In a post-win interview with HollywoodLife , the Closer singer admitted he lost weight by sweating profusely in his suit.
“First and foremost, I easily lost about 20 pounds wearing the suit because it didn't breathe at all,” Ne-Yo admitted. “I'm under all these sweaty bullets. It was crazy. They were on standby with fans. Every time they cut or broke, they ran out with the fans because they knew I was down there dying.”
The 44-year-old, real name Shaffer Smith, went in a cow costume with “a lot of bust” to help the judges throw off his scent, but the padding and headpiece made it difficult for him to dance and move on set.
“The lips of the cow's head were where my eyes were. I basically couldn't see at all,” he shared. “It was actually quite difficult to watch, which made walking up and down stairs, which some of the shows required, much more difficult. In fact, there were a few times where I tripped. I don't know if they edited that out.”
While the competition was “challenging,” Ne-Yo had “an absolute ball” throughout the experience. He noted that he made room for his winner's trophy along with the Grammys in the awards closet at his mom's house.
During the finale, Pretty Little Liars actress Janel Parrish, dressed as Gazelle, came in third and The Dukes of Hazzard's John Schneider, dressed as Donut, came in second.
Ne-Yo previously competed as Badger on the UK edition of Masked Singer, finishing second in 2021.
