The Masked Singer Adds Five New Contestants — Is a Former Bachelorette Among Them?
Because you can never have too many furries at the freak show, Wednesday’s episode of The Masked Singer added five more contestants into the mix.
The surprising hour introduced Royal Knight, Sherlock Hound, Ice King, Macaron and Strawberry Shortcake, with one getting eliminated before their journey ever really began. But hey, that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. (See what we did there? … You’ll get it later.)
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Royal Knight strutted out first, serving up a countrified rendition of Lady Gaga’s “You and I.” (Speaking of whom, did you hear that Gaga’s going to be on Wednesday Season 2?) Next up, Sherlock Hound treated viewers to a cover of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge,” and the Ice King had us feeling like it’s 2011 all over again with his performance of Hot Chelle Rae’s “Tonight Tonight.”
Hoping to appeal to America’s collective sweet tooth, out came Macaron with Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” followed by Strawberry Shortcake’s beautiful take on Kacey Musgraves’ “Slow Burn.”
Once the votes were tallied, Macaron became the first contestant eliminated from Group C, and the judges couldn’t have been further off with their initial guesses. Gypsy Rose Blanchard? Monica Lewinsky?! The correct answer was… Bethany Hamilton, who famously lost her arm in a shark attack, inspiring the 2011 movie Soul Surfer.
Did you guess Macaron’s identity correctly? And which celebrities do you suspect are lurking underneath those other four Group C costumes? Read on for a complete breakdown of everything we’ve learned about this season’s contestants, then drop a comment with your own guesses below.
BLUEBELL (Natalie Imbruglia!)
The Group B Finale spelled the end of the road for Bluebell, who turned out to be singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia!
BUFFALOS
CLUES | What we thought was a single Buffalo turned out to be three, as introduced by Nick Lachey, who claims that one of the Buffalo is always the center of attention at his Super Bowl parties. One of the Buffalo grew up poor and practiced his craft at bus stops, before eventually getting his big break (“it was game on!”) at a cattle call. The so-called “national treasure” went on to star in two of the biggest sitcoms of all time. Visual clues included Betty White and Vanna White on a slot machine, and a crown.
Episode 2 explained that the Buffalos were “rebels” who “found each other along the trail.” They’re funny, they’re corny and they’re apparently rich. As one Buffalo explained, “We’re a little tired right now, because we’re busy using this tractor to mow lawns all around town.” Visual clues included a game of poker and a bottle of poison.
In Episode 3, the Buffalos revealed that they had a fourth member of their group — “a real MacGyver, too, always fixing stuff.” Unfortunately, they lost him suddenly. “Everything we do is for him,” they said. Visual clues included a bell and a Dead End sign.
OUR BEST GUESS | The internet is convinced that Boyz II Men is under those Buffalo costumes, but do the clues really line up? Allow us to throw in another option: Cedric the Entertainer, an original member of the Kings of Comedy (hence the crown). Not only did he share the screen with Betty White during a crossover between The Soul Man and Hot in Cleveland, but he also appeared in the Broadway revival of David Mamet’s play American Buffalo. Could the other two Buffalo be Cedric’s fellow Kings of Comedy, Steve Harvey and D.L. Hughley? They did also mention suddenly losing their fourth member, just as the Kings suddenly lost Bernie Mac in 2008. And think about it, Bernie Mac…Gyver? Tell us we’re not crazy!
CHESS PIECE (Laverne Cox!)
There was never a Doubt in our mind that the Chess Piece was Laverne Cox, and our suspicions were confirmed when she was unmasked after being eliminated in Episode 5.
DUST BUNNY (Andy Richter!)
It was one and done for Dust Bunny, who was eliminated shortly after his first (and only) performance, revealing himself to be… Andy Richter.
GOO (?!)
CLUES | Introduced by NFL wide receiver Keenan Allen in Episode 4, Goo grew up wanting to tackle everything in sight. But the truth is, he’s sensitive. His older brother started playing guitar, which provided Goo with an “escape” in the form of music. He even sang in his school’s a cappella group. Visual clues included a tackle box and a toy train with a disco ball inside. “For me, you may want to focus on the sole of the shoe,” he teased.
Goo is a big-time romantic, which we learned when he shared the story of how he met his now-fiancée at a theme park. Visual clues in Episode 5 included a golden ticket, a plate of apple turnovers and a choir robe. His Barbie Dream House clue felt “fitting” for Robin Thicke, who is apparently a “fan” of this person.
Visual clues in Episode 6 included a chess board (with a rook piece), a bag of gold coins, sheet music and a conductor’s baton. When handed a whistle, he said, “Oh say, can you see… that has a special meaning to me in more than one way.”
OUR BEST GUESS | He’s got to be an athlete, right? That’s not exactly our territory, so we’re still not ready to name names. Robin Thicke is allegedly a fan of both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bears. Are any players on those teams engaged? And possibly covered in slime? Help.
ICE KING (Andy Grammer?)
CLUES | Hanson apparently helped this “chill” friend of their gets his start in the music industry, and he has sold out some of the biggest stadiums in the world. He spent a few years in a deep freeze after running from Hollywood, but he’s glad to be back in the spotlight now. Visual clues included a tower of speakers, a cake pop and a passport. “I’ve traveled the world dropping fire beats in front of massive crowds, but tonight has been the most lit,” he teased in Episode 7.
OUR BEST GUESS | This might be an insane guess, but the Ice King sounds a lot like Andy Grammer to us. Plus, a bit of Googling shows that one of Grammer’s earliest recorded performances was part of an earthquake relief telethon produced by Hanson in 2011, hence that connection. Plus, the guy’s got a huge tour coming up in 2025 — and you can’t beat this kind of publicity.
We’ve seen a lot of people online guessing Drake Bell, and while we won’t deny that Ice King was giving big Drake Bell energy during his interaction with the judges, we’re not sold.
LEAF SHEEP (John Elway!)
Leaf Sheep — which is a real creature, if you’re brave enough to Google it — was revealed to be NFL great John Elway in the Season 12 premiere.
MACARON (Bethany Hamilton!)
Macaron’s time in the competition was short but, fittingly, sweet. After just one performance in Episode 7, the cookie crumbled, revealing herself to be… Bethany Hamilton!
ROYAL KNIGHT (Kaitlyn Bristowe?)
CLUES | This fierce-strutting warrior was introduced by reality star Savannah Chrisley as the “toughest woman” she knows. The Royal Knight has known plenty of heartbreak in her life, but now she doesn’t care about kings or castles, as long as she’s giving main-character energy. Visual clues included a glass slipper, a TV remote control, and a megaphone that says “T.” As she teased in Episode 7, “No matter the season, I’m always ready to ‘slay’ the competition.” (Or it is… sleigh?)
OUR BEST GUESS | Hearing about how Royal Knight went on a quest for love led us to think she’s probably a former Bachelor and/or Bachelorette contestant. Kaitlyn Bristowe has already released music professionally, and guess who follows her on Instagram? Why, none other than her pal Chrisley. The megaphone is likely a nod to how Bristowe found her voice via her popular podcast (whose account Chrisley also follows).
SHERLOCK HOUND (Bronson Arroyo?)
CLUES | This dog’s whole family was into music, from his educator grandmother to his ivory-tickling father. But Sherlock Hound is more into electric guitars than cellos, hence the “jam sessions” he’s apparently had with Season 3 contestant Barry Zito. Visual clues included an eye patch and a No. 1 diamond record. “I know what it’s like to be No. 1 in the world,” he teased in Episode 7.
OUR BEST GUESS | Sports isn’t our forté, but we’re pretty confident that this is former MLB pitcher Bronson Arroyo. Not only was he introduced by a fellow baseball player, but Arroyo was on the Diamondbacks (hence the diamond on his record), and he’s also the lead singer of a Pearl Jam/Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band (hence him singing “Under the Bridge”).
SHIP (Paula Cole!)
Ship nearly made it to the quarterfinals, but those pesky Buffalos knocked her off course, exposing her as ’90s songstress Paula Cole.
SHOWBIRD (Yvette Nicole Brown!)
One of the more obvious Season 12 contestants, Showbird was revealed in Episode 2 to be none other than Ken Jeong’s Community co-star Yvette Nicole Brown. We’re just glad he finally guessed her correctly — that could have been embarrassing.
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE (Kelsea Ballerini?)
CLUES | This songstress recently accomplished her dream of opening an iconic music festival. One of her biggest fans is former Masked Singer contestant Hayley Orrantia, who says Strawberry Shortcake has been by her side for some of her biggest milestones. Visual clues included… a cat! And when Nick Cannon brought out her t-shirt clue, which said “Break a leg!” with comedy and tragedy masks, she explained, “My breakthrough role showed the world my potential.”
OUR BEST GUESS | We’re not sure about the “breakthrough role” clue, but everything else points us to country singer Kelsea Ballerini, who not only opened CMA Fest in 2019 but also happens to be good friends with — you guessed it — Orrantia.
WASP (Mario?)
CLUES | Ne-Yo has known the Wasp since he first arrived on the scene, and he apparently made it big by taking Ne-Yo’s “words of wisdom” to heart. Wasp grew up in a tough neighborhood, but learned to dig deep and fight, leading to him perform on the biggest screens and stages in the world. Visual clues included boxing gloves, a popped heart balloon and the planet Mars. “Fresh kicks help me to stay on my game,” Wasp teased.
Wasp grew up in a house with a dozen family members, but without his father in his life, Wasp felt directionless. After he became successful, he reconnected with his father, who finally said how proud he was. A crab also served as an additional visual clue. “Every minute I’m out there, I take my live performances to new heights,” he teased in Episode 5.
He admired his mother, his protector, for his entire life. But as he got older, he saw cracks in her armor — and couldn’t save her when she faced her darkest battle yet. Visual clues in Episode 6 included a stethoscope and a treasure map. “Just like this bill, I’ve also hit a million,” he teased when presented with a million-dollar bill.
OUR BEST GUESS | OK, hear us out on this one — could Wasp be R&B singer Mario? Not only did Ne-Yo write one of Mario’s earliest hits (“Let Me Love You”), but the popped heart balloon in Wasp’s clue package could also be a nod to his biggest song (“Just a Friend”). As for the planet Mars, that could be referencing Mario’s 2020 EP Closer to Mars. As for the biggest stages and screens, Mario’s career has included roles in movies like Step Up and Freedom Writers, and he played Benny in Fox’s production of Rent: Live.
WOODPECKER (Marsai Martin!)
Woodpecker was eliminated in Episode 3, revealing herself to be black-ish star Marsai Martin.
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