On Wednesday’s episode of “The Masked Singer,” two additional famous faces were revealed: Malin Akerman, an actor and comedian, and Lele Pons, a social media star, were revealed to be Squirrel and Jackalope, respectively.
Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg chose Malin Akerman correctly for Squirrel. Heather Graham was guessed by Robin Thicke. Katherine Heigl, insisted Ken Jeong. Kate Hudson was picked by Nicole Scherzinger. Jennifer Nettles, a guest panelist, mentioned Anne Hathaway.
Concerning Jackalope, Scherzinger immediately sorted out it was Lele Pons, and Thicke concurred. Jenna Ortega, McCarthy Wahlberg stated. Selena Gomez was with Jeong. Camilla Cabello was Nettles’ choice.
Elmo began the episode of “Sesame Street” with a rendition of “What’s The Name of That Song” (or, in this instance, “Show”) before handing it over to Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, the Count, and other characters to sing BTS’s “Dynamite.” Yes, this show keeps being so weird! I mean, the host who introduced the show, Nick Cannon, called him “Father to Many Sesame Street Fans.” It is always amazing how much “The Masked Singer” emphasizes Cannon’s fatherhood.)
Damar Hamlin, a player for the Buffalo Bills, made a brief visit to the set of this episode, which had been previously hinted at by news reports. The appearance was made by Hamlin just a few weeks after he collapsed on the field during a game on January 2. He is introduced in the episode by his younger brother Damir.
“My brother, that’s my world,” Hamlin said of why he made an appearance. “I put family first. And he loves ‘Sesame Street’ more than most things. So, we had to make it tonight.”
Singer Jennifer Nettles, host of Fox’s “Farmer Wants a Wife,” which airs immediately following “The Masked Singer,” was also present as a guest panelist.
The “Champion of Masked Singer” format has been used once more this season on “The Masked Singer.” Three celebrities in costume will perform on each episode, but only one will win and advance to the next week’s competition. Three winners from each round will compete in the semi-finals.
This means that one contestant will be revealed in the middle of the show, and the two best singers will compete in a “battle royale.” After Akerman as Squirrel was the first to be unmasked, Jackalope and Fairy had to compete with Imagine Dragons’ “On Top of the World.” Jackalope got less votes and was exposed as Pons. The Fairy moves on to the episode next week.
“Ding Dong Keep It On” is new for this season. Panelists will have the chance to save a singer from elimination in the new twist to the competition; however, the bell can only be rung three times during the first three rounds. After that, those three singers will compete for a chance to rejoin the competition on a special episode. On Wednesday, no one answered the door.
There are 21 contestants in Season 9 of “The Masked Singer,” including “Mustang,” “Axolotl,” “California Roll,” “Dandelion,” “Moose,” “Gargoyle,” “Jackalope,” “Doll,” “Polar Bear,” “Night Owl,” “Rock Lobster,” and “Gnome.” The costume designer for this season is Tim Chappel.
This season, the celebrities unmasked include Malin Akerman as Squirrel, Lele Pons as Jackalope, Michael Bolton as the Wolf, Debbie Gibson as Night Owl, Howie Mandel as Rock Lobster, Sara Evans as Mustang, and Dick Van Dyke as Gnome.
The contestants from Season 9 “boast a combined 28 Emmy nominations, six Grammy wins, 10 gold albums, four Golden Globe nominations, five medals, 26 books, two Tony Award nominations, five Lifetime Achievement Awards, a combined 95,231,000 records sold,” according to the show’s website. New themed episodes, including “ABBA,” “New York,” “DC Superheroes,” “Sesame Street,” “80s Night,” “Movie Night,” and others, will debut in Season 9.
The contestants and their performances from night five are as follows:
THE FAIRY (WINNER)
Song: “You’re No Good,” by Linda Ronstadt
Panel guesses: Tracee Ellis Ross, Angelina Jolie, Rashida Jones
Clue: Cookie Monster holds up a paper plate that says “Endless Love”
Package voiceover: “Making my debut on ‘Sesame Street’ night makes me feel right at home. Because I grew up on these streets. Some might say I’m a bit of a nepo-fairy, I mean, while other kids had allowances, I made my pocket money charging the neighborhood kids to come over and see my dad just hanging out at home. I definitely could have taken a more direct route to fame, like some of the friends that I grew up with. But I chose a more divergent path, prioritizing my education and traveling the world. Eventually my destiny led me back to the limelight of Tinseltown. I guess office work just wasn’t for me. I got to pursue two of my loves: Singing and acting. Now it’s time for me to sing a song from my favorite ‘Sesame Street’ resident. Because why he may be grumpy, he’s an old friend.”
JACKALOPE (LELE PONS)
Song: “Whenever, Wherever,” by Shakira
Clue: The Count holds up a sign that says, “30 Under 30.” “Donald Glover, Emma Stone and Michael B. Jordan. It is an honor to be on the same list.”
Panel guesses: Lele Pons, Jenna Ortega, Camilla Cabello
Package voiceover: “I’m so excited to step into the ring on ‘Sesame Street’ night because I also love entertaining audiences of all ages. While I’m known to have a lot of influence, you’d be surprised that I wasn’t very social. Talking as a kid wasn’t my jam. So, growing up, I pioneered other ways to express myself through music and dance. Pretty soon, people all over the world began connecting with me and what I do because this Jackalope don’t lie. Posting about your problems to millions of strangers may seem crazy, but being vulnerable gives me strength. I’ve created a modern family of outcasts and together we’ve defined an industry. My kind of notoriety has its fair share of trolls. But I’ve learned to have a thick skin in my arena. So, my competition better watch out because this bunny’s moves shine brightest on Wednesdays.”
SQUIRREL (MALIN AKERMAN)
Song: “Just the Two of Us,” by Grover Washington Jr., feat. Bill Withers
Panel guesses: Katherine Heigl, Kate Hudson, Malin Akerman, Anne Hathaway
Clue: Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin brings out a football with Jeong’s face on it. Said Squirrel: “Ken, this is not the first time we’ve worked together. But it is the first time you’ve had more lines.”
Package voiceover: “My coming out as the squirrel last week was nuts. I had some tough competition, but I knew if I got into the battle royale I could tap into my inner rock star and really show what I’m made of. Now that I’m sitting in the champion seat, I’m feeling a new fire. I’m working hard to make sure no one’s going to take this title from me, especially not on ‘Sesame Street’ night. I’m dedicating my performance to the Count because my kid is his number one fan. That guy’s got some style. Just like this new clue. [A wedding gown]. Say yes to the guess.”
Previous song: “Try,” by Pink
Previous panel guesses: Naomi Watts, Katie Holmes, Renee Zellweger, Margot Robbie, Uma Thurman