Singapore’s ‘I Can See Your Voice’ Casts Big Stars as Detectives

The Singaporean adaptation of the hit South Korean game show “I Can See Your Voice” invites viewers to solve a musical mystery alongside some of the country’s most beloved artists.

The show uses celebrity detectives Benjamin Kheng, Gurmit Singh, Najip Ali and Xixi Lim to help – or mislead – the contestants in their decisions.

The series is the latest addition to the global franchise, originating in South Korea and adapted in over 30 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Thailand and the Philippines. The format’s combination of inference and performance resonated with audiences around the world, with each country adapting the concept to reflect local sensibilities.

The show is hosted by Joakim Gomez and Munah Bagharib, both veteran artists in the Singapore entertainment scene. Gomez, a Mediacorp 987 radio personality, rose to fame as a finalist on Singapore Idol in 2006. Bagharib, known for her acting and hosting roles, also advocates for mental health awareness and education on dementia.

Kheng, known for his music with The Sam Willows and his solo career, says: “We get clues, a lip sync challenge, interrogation opportunities and much more. My job is to give quality or misleading advice to celebrity contestants on whether I think these mystery singers are good or bad singers.

Singh, loved for his iconic role as Phua Chu Kang in the sitcom “Phu Chu Kang Pte Ltd”, brings decades of experience in comedy and hosting. “I liken it to a musical version of Cluedo, where the clues are sometimes useful, but sometimes absolutely ridiculously useless,” he explains. Reflecting on his chemistry with Ali, Singh adds, “Najip and I have known each other for a long time now, but we have only recently acted together. The English drama “Sunny Side Up” was our first collaboration and we really enjoyed working together. So in “I Can See Your Voice,” we really let loose and had a lot of fun. So much so that the producers made sure we weren’t sitting next to each other because we were having too much fun and causing a ruckus, constantly joking and throwing punches at each other.

Ali, a regional entertainment pioneer with a career spanning four decades, takes a more analytical approach. “As the resident celebrity detective, my job is to differentiate good singers from bad singers. I will have to comment on each performance and try to help the celebrity contestants decide who are the good singers and who are the bad singers. Even though I try to help them, sometimes my comments can confuse them more because they think otherwise,” he says. Najip’s legacy includes hosting and producing award-winning shows like “Asia Bagus” and “Berani Nyanyi?”

The panel is rounded out by Xixi Lim, an actress, model and singer famous for her comedic timing and advocacy for body positivity.

“I Can See Your Voice” will air on January 13 every Monday on Channel 5, with episodes available to stream on mewatch and YouTube. The final mystery singer of each episode wins SG$10,000 ($7,300), with all winners eligible to win a Nissan Leaf car.