Colton Underwood Says His Husband Helped Him Perform on 'The Masked Singer'
Nick Cannon (L) and an unmasked Colton Underwood (R) on 'The Masked Singer'
More than five years ago, we watched Colton Underwood jump a fence on The Bachelor, serving as a metaphor of his yearning to escape amidst a sea of emotion. But on The Masked Singer, he promptly kicked that fence down. It's a symbol of how free he has become since we first saw him on reality TV. In the time since giving out roses, Colton has come out, gotten married, become a podcaster, and proposed student-athlete mental health bills to Congress. And on top of that, he donned the wings of Lovebird on this season of the Emmy-winning FOX singing series.
The day after his reveal, Colton spoke to Parade.com about why he felt it was the right time in his life to do The Masked Singer, how his husband prepared him for the show, and everything he's currently working on outside of reality TV.
Related: Everything to Know About The Masked Singer Season 11
Hey, Colton! Excited I get to talk to you without speaking to a beak.
Me too! I actually could see you through this. So this is great.
How difficult was it to wear the costume? I know you were able to get some mobility when you kicked down the fence.
The claws and the talons were probably the hardest thing to navigate with. I mean, those are some big feet to carry around. And then the shell of the costume was also tricky navigating. But I will say it did breathe better than some of the others probably.
Well let's air some things out, much like your costume. Obviously, you are no stranger to reality TV. But what made you decide The Masked Singer was something you'd try next on your resume?
I mean, just the timing of my life. I had been presented the opportunity a few times, and it just wasn't the right time. And I needed healing, I needed privacy in different moments of my life. So when this opportunity came up, it was something that was an easy yes, for me, you know. I'm in such a different phase of life now, married and healthy and happy and looking for new challenges and new things to do. And when this project came up, it was sort of a no brainer. And I'm so glad that I did it.
What was your reaction to being Lovebird? It's a very on the nose costume!
Yeah, I think it was cool. Because it was while my costume was on the nose, it also just had a deeper meaning, too. It's just my journey of love for myself and learning to love parts of me that I've hated for so long. And I think that's what was beautiful about the Lovebird to me is, yes, I found love with Jordan. And, yes, you know me from a love show. But I'm more. So my journey has been one of teaching myself out of love myself. And that was what I thought was beautiful, not only about the Lovebird, but also just the songs that I chose to sing, too.
To your point, you're all about finding and expressing your voice. But a singing voice is a very different version of that. What was it like getting into fighting shape for the show?
It was very hard. My husband actually is musically talented and has a great vocal range and knows notes and does all that. I know nothing other than singing in the shower and singing in my car. So I will say Jordan was a help to me throughout this. And I'm proud that I tried as hard as I did.
Jenny noted the confidence you seemed to have gained between your first and second performances. Did that happen?
I think that's anything in life. Once you get that first one out of the way, and once you go through it, once you sort of have this confidence, like, "Oh, I do belong on the stage, I can do this," you get a little bit of a swagger to you. And I will say Lovebird definitely had a swagger from the moment he kicked that fence down.
Were you surprised to be the victim of that double elimination?
You know, I was a little bit. But I will say it was time for me to go. Preparing and learning two, three, four more songs would have been very challenging for me. And it was it was a tough elimination. But I think I had to go when I had to go.
You got a lot of different guesses along your two episodes. Let's start with the closest and work outwards. Jenny was wavering between two Bachelors: You and Nick Viall. Were you excited when she was suspecting it was you?
I thought if anybody was gonna guess me, it was gonna be Jenny. She's a reality TV guru. She loves The Bachelor. She's read my book in the past. We've spoken before, so she knows my voice and is familiar with it. So I had a feeling if anybody was gonna guess who, it was going to be her.
What about when Rita threw out another reality TV guess with The Situation?
I mean, that's an OG of reality TV. So anytime you get thrown around with names like that, it's always fun. I mean, Travis Kelce and The Rock came up at one point, which is...what?
Yeah, what was your reaction when Ken insisted to his last breath that you were The Rock?
I mean, look, that's Ken. But also, that is what this show is that makes it so good. You never know who's gonna be under one of these masks, the talent and the people who say yes to this show. Because it is a show about having fun, and it's a family show. And it's just so successful year in and year out that you never know who's gonna be under that mask.
Since making your reality TV debut, you have done romance shows, competition shows, now a talent show. Is there another show you have in mind that you would want to do next?
I mean, I'm not ever going to speak in definitives. I'm a very competitive person. So anything that has a competition element to it, outside of the singing, I mean, I know my restriction, and my limitations. But anything in the competition space, I always love doing. And I obviously came up through a romantic and dating show. So being able to sort of find a lane for me to give back to our LGBTQ+ community is something that I'm working on right now. So it's very exciting.
Speaking of what you're working on, I'd love to chat about some of the things you're doing outside of The Masked Singer. The Colton Underwood Foundation works on mental health awareness for student athletes. And I would imagine, with March Madness just ending, it's a great time to draw attention to how much stress is put on NCAA players.
Look, these athletes are incredible human beings that are under immense pressures, not only from the NIL, to the transfer rules to sports betting, these are human beings . I think we need to constantly remind the fans that there are hearts and brains and minds and souls behind these numbers and the statistics, so always have that in mind. But also, just the work I'm doing in mental health right now, as far as giving these athletes more resources to use tools that can help them stay healthy, not only physically, but mentally, is really important, something that's authentic to me. I mean, I struggled with my mental health in 2020, and ultimately, through working through that, it led me to coming out and being my most authentic self and now giving me a platform and privilege to get back. So it's an honor to have.
Well, what about the TEAMS Act? I know you just had a big meeting with the Surgeon General.
The TEAMS Act stands for "Targeting Emotional and Mental Stability." And essentially what it is, is a bipartisan effort. It's a bill that I introduced in both the House and the Senate. And it basically reallocates a portion of $50 million to student-athlete resources for mental health programs such as 24/7 crisis text lines, to peer to peer counseling to more therapy and access to different meditation apps. So it's a very exciting thing. And my foundation and me and both the you know, Senator Boozman, and Senator Cory Booker, I'm just really proud of it, and that they're taking the lead on us.
Well you talk about expanding your voice across different mediums. And you recently became a podcaster with your new podcast "Daddyhood," which delves into the intricate world of fertility for same-sex couples. What has it been like to open yourself up in a brand new way?
I think with "Daddyhood," just understanding that nobody was talking about fertility, both in the LGBTQ+ community, and just in general. I think IVF is severely misunderstood and oftentimes viewed as a last-resort effort. When in reality, it should be a preventative medicine and a tool used for not only same-sex couples, but couples across our country that struggle with expanding their families and getting pregnant. So I love lending my voice, my efforts, into interviewing doctors, lawyers, surrogates, egg donors. Humanizing the fertility experience was a goal of "Daddyhood," and that is something that I'm so proud of. And it's out now anywhere you listen to podcasts. There's some great episodes coming up, and I can't wait to continue to share stories with everyone.
Next, check out our interview with Sisqó, who was eliminated in The Masked Singer Season 11 Episode 5.