Spoilers: Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is the name on The Masked Singer fans’ lips after he was revealed as the person behind the Pi-Rat costume. Many are now asking what his net worth is following his shock appearance.
It wasn’t the first time Jeff’s name came up while viewers – and judges – tried to guess the man behind the mask. The most obvious clue that gave away who was hiding in the costume was when Pi-Rat’s arm puppet began singing along.
During the September 28th episode, Pi-Rat’s identity came to light, leaving several fans in shock that Jeff can sing. From how much he earns today to what his background is, Reality Titbit has all the deets you need on his career.
Jeff Dunham on The Masked Singer
Jeff, 60, was unveiled as the star behind Pi-Rat on The Masked Singer 2022. The Texas native came up a few times when fans tried to guess his identity, and while singing is not his usual talent, his puppet often sings during performances.
As part of a triple unmasking, the comedian was first to go, with the fewest number of votes. Judge Osmond had already correctly guessed that it was Jeff behind the mask – along with members of the audience!
This meant that he was one of the first five celebrities to leave season 8 of the competition. He sang “Crocodile Rock,” by Elton John, revealed that he is great at multi-tasking as his clue, and said he “wasn’t very popular” aged eight.
His net worth in 2022
Jeff is worth a whopping $140 million in 2022. He is known as one of the highest-paid comedians in the world, raking in a huge $15 million to $30 million every year, as per Celebrity Net Worth.
He has appeared on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Comedy Central Presents,” “The Tonight Show,” and “Sonny With a Chance”, and is consistently one of the top-grossing stand-up acts in North America.
His successful career began when he experimented with ventriloquism in 1970, when he was eight years old, and received a Mortimer Snerd dummy for Christmas. He then bought a how-to book on ventriloquism from the library…
Inside Jeff’s ventriloquist career
Jeff has been a ventriloquist, stand-up comedian and actor for several years. By the time he was in the fourth grade, he wanted to not only be a professional ventriloquist, but the best one ever. He practiced in front of the mirror for hours!
He grew up studying the routines of ventriloquist Edgar Bergan, and poured over a how-to record on the subject. In sixth grade, Jeff began attending the yearly international ventriloquists’ convention called the Vent Haven ConVENTion.
Since then, the well-known star has only missed one event, in 1977. He then began performing in front of audiences as a teenager at school, church, and at his job at the amusement park Six Flags, making it on TV by 1976.
He also starred in commercials for car dealerships in Dallas while still in high school. Jeff got his big break in 1985, when he landed a part in a Broadway variety show that featured Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller. And the rest is history!
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