The Masked Singer Premiere Dominates Ratings Amidst Host's Controversy

The premiere of the reality show "The Masked Singer" on Channel 12 achieved a strong debut on Saturday night, capturing 18.5% of the ratings and drawing 563,000 viewers. This performance gave Channel 12 a clear lead over its competitors. In contrast, Channel 14's program "The Patriots," hosted by Yinon Magal, garnered 7.6% of the ratings. Magal found himself at the center of a public controversy due to remarks he made about Gadi Eisenkot, the chairman of the Yishai party. Magal reportedly called Eisenkot a "monkey" and claimed he was being manipulated by others behind the scenes. These comments sparked sharp reactions, including from Eisenkot and his party, reigniting discussions about Magal's style of expression. Magal later addressed the controversy, asserting that his words were taken out of context and that he did not intend to compare Eisenkot's appearance to a monkey, but rather used the phrase to describe someone being put forward while others operate them from behind. Despite his explanation, public discussion continued, with further criticism of his statement. In other programming, Channel 12's news broadcast led with 12.8% ratings, while Channel 11's news followed with 4.3%, matching Channel 14's news. Channel 13's news secured 4.2%. In the prime-time slot, "The Masked Singer" was the top-rated program, followed by "The Patriots" and then "The Voice All Stars" on Channel 13 with 6.8%.