In the first part of the doubleheader premiere, two contestants from group A are eliminated but only one is unmasked with panelist Ken Jeong making a right guess.
- Sep 23, 2021
AceShowbiz - "The Masked Singer" is back with a brand new season. The show kicked off its season 6 with double elimination and a twist as five contestants from group A performed in the Wednesday, September 22 episode. Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke are back as the judges.
The first to perform that night was Skunk. Singing "Diamonds" by Sam Smith, they revealed in the clue package that they "relate to the duality" of their black and white costume. They "took a break for a minute to focus on family, but I'm ready to get back out there." The video also showed a vase with the letter "D" that might hint at their diva personality. The panelists' guesses included Anita Baker, Mary J. Blige and Toni Braxton.
Following it up was Octopus with a rendition of "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard. The eight-legged invertebrate called eight his lucky number in his clue package, which featured alphabet blocks and a golden telephone. "I reached success at a very young age," Octopus said, but that led to their downfall. The judges suggested Octopus could be Dwight Howard, Shaquille O'Neal and Dennis Rodman.
Pufferfish was up next, singing Doja Cat's hit "Say So". The clue package included a disco ball, the Scales of Justice, test tubes, beakers, dry ice and a boomerang. They revealed that they were always ridiculed over their "different" voice, so they "had to learn to stand up for myself." The panelists threw in names like Paula Abdul, Jessica Alba, Issa Rae and Maya Rudolph as possible celebrity under the Pufferfish costume.
Mother Nature performed next, belting out Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out". Included in the clue package was a photo of season 2 winner Wayne Brady. Mother Nature said, "I've done it all. As season changed, so did I. But there's one thing I never had the chance to do: be a mother. It took me a while to come to terms with it, until I realized the family that I already have." Robin guessed it's Diana's daughter herself Tracee Ellis Ross, while the other judges mentioned comedians Tiffany Haddish, Chelsea Handler and Aisha Tyler.
Bull rounded out the performance that night with a cover of Train's "Drops of Jupiter". The bovine animal said they started from growing up in a "small, small town surrounded by cows" to becoming "my own boss - and eventually Hollywood and even Forbes took notice." Also included in the clue package were a map with Cooperstown, season 3's Astronaut (country singer Hunter Hayes) and a stuffed lion. The judges guessed Lance Bass, Brian Littrell, Sisqo and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
After the votes were in, Nick Cannon announced the first two singers to be eliminated were Octopus and Mother Nature. Octopus was unmasked as Los Angeles Lakers player Dwight Howard, which meant Ken scored one with his correct guess. "It was hot in this suit," the 35-year-old athlete said after being unmasked. "The mask weighed like 55 lbs.! I was sweating, smiling and singing."
Meanwhile, fans have to wait for part two of the premiere to find out who Mother Nature is. Also in the episode, two Wildcards will be introduced and go up against Pufferfish, Bull and Skunk.
The identities of the Wildcards are, of course, kept under wraps, but production sources have shared hints of one of Wildcards. The sources tell TMZ that one of these Wildcards made out with Jenny McCarthy in the past.
The next episode of "The Masked Singer" airs Thursday, September 23 at P.M. ET/PT on FOX.
