Bar Refaeli Returns to Prime-Time TV as Judge on The Masked Singer
Supermodel Bar Refaeli is returning to prime-time television as a judge on the fifth season of The Masked Singer on Keshet 12, promising a more relaxed and personal side.
Bar Refaeli is returning to prime-time television in a brand-new role, promising to showcase a side of herself that the public has never seen before. Speaking with Walla Celebs at the launch event for the new season of The Masked Singer on Keshet 12, the international model opened up about her decision to join the judging panel, her long-standing public image, and her ongoing desire to keep her private life far away from the spotlight.
The fifth season of the hit show is set to premiere on Keshet 12 this coming Saturday. Refaeli will be joining veteran judges Ofira Asayag, Tzedi Tzarfati, and Shahar Hason, alongside singer Moshe Peretz, who is also new to the panel.
Refaeli, who has not been a regular fixture on prime-time television since her stint on The X Factor, explained that she had not actively been looking for a way back to the screen. However, the offer to join The Masked Singer immediately sparked her genuine interest. "To be honest, I wasn't interested in doing anything like this until now, and when they approached me with The Masked Singer, it excited me a lot. It is one of the most fun shows on television," she shared. According to her, the long shooting days were remarkably enjoyable, and she anticipates that viewers will discover a dynamic entirely different from what they have known up until now.
Breaking Away from the Mold
One of the main reasons Refaeli chose a spot on the judging panel rather than a hosting role—which earlier reports suggested was also considered for her on The Voice—was the rare opportunity to break free from the polished, heavily curated image that has followed her for years. "Yes, it felt much more liberating, allowing me to truly show myself and reveal a bit of my actual personality, rather than always being so put-together and precise," she explained in an interview.
Refaeli noted that even people present on set were pleasantly surprised by how she comes across on the show. For her, this is not a sudden personality shift, but rather a chance to present herself in a much more natural light. "It surprises me that people are surprised, because this is just who I am; nothing suddenly happened," she remarked, adding that the extended hours spent filming alongside her fellow panelists allowed her to simply be herself, just as she interacts with friends behind the scenes.
"I would actually want the exact antithesis of my costume, something big, masculine, fat, un-feminine, un-sexy, completely unrelated to anything about modeling. The opposite—some giant rhinoceros," Refaeli said when asked what disguise she would choose.
New Dynamics and Fresh Friendships
Alongside her triumphant return to the screen, Refaeli's evolving relationship with fellow judge Ofira Asayag has also caught public attention. In a joint interview on Guy Pines' Good Evening, the two addressed their budding chemistry and dismissed earlier rumors surrounding Asayag's past disputes with Refaeli's mother, Tzipi Refaeli.
Bar made it clear that her bond with Asayag is exceptionally strong, describing her in warm terms: "She crept into my heart as a friend. Everyone knows who Ofira is, but she has sort of become my genuine friend." Asayag, for her part, showered Refaeli with praise, insisting that the public still does not truly know her after all these years. "People haven't known who Bar Refaeli is for 40 years—the most beautiful girl, the best mother, a woman who genuinely represents us with pride all over the world and honors the State of Israel. You are all going to get to know Bar Refaeli on The Masked Singer," Asayag declared.
