All the celebrities revealed on Season 9 of 'The Masked Singer'
After over 100 episodes and just as many celebrity contestants, “The Masked Singer” has completed its ninth season.
Since 2019, host Nick Cannon has watched panelists Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg and Robin Thicke toss out hilarious and perplexing guesses as they try to figure out which celebrity is singing in front of them in an elaborate disguise.
On Feb. 15, Fox premiered the latest season of its hit reality series and it already made history with the oldest contestant in the show’s history. Dressed as Medusa, a polar bear and various foods, Season Nine’s celebrities have been delivering impressive performances that could make it the best season yet.
Each week, TODAY.com updated which unexpected famous faces were eliminated and revealed on the most recent episode.
See all the costumes of "The Masked Singer" Season Nine and all the celebrity contestants who are revealed to be underneath them so far. By the end of the season, we’ll know the identity of Mustang, Axolotl, California Roll, Dandelion, Gargoyle, Jackalope, Doll, Polar Bear, Night Owl, Rock Lobster and Gnome.
Gnome in Episode 1
Who was behind the mask? Dick Van Dyke
Hollywood icon Dick Van Dyke was unmasked as the Gnome in the season premiere, making history as the show’s oldest contestant at 97 years old. Unfortunately, the “Mary Poppins” actor’s historic run only lasted for one song, but he gave viewers a performance to remember with his rendition of the catchy Frank Sinatra classic “When You’re Smiling.”
Mustang in Episode 1
Who was behind the mask? Sara Evans
Country music singer Sara Evans was revealed as the Mustang after her performance of Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” in the first episode. The “I Keep Looking’ singer later battled Medusa as the two sang Rihanna’s “Diamonds” to determine who would stay in the competition. Mustang lost the face-off and left the panel stumped as they guessed singers like Pink and Wynonna Judd before Evans took off her mask.
Rock Lobster in Episode 2
Who was behind the mask: Howie Mandel
Comedian and television host Howie Mandel attempted to sing along to ABBA’s “SOS” during his first and only performance but he ended up screaming most of the lyrics and confusing the panel as left the stage before the final note. “I feel like a princess in a fairytale,” he joked as he returned for his feedback. As a fellow comic, Jeong immediately recognized the “America’s Got Talent” judge’s voice and guessed him before he confirmed his identity.
Night Owl in Episode 2
Who was behind the mask? Debbie Gibson
Continuing the ABBA theme in Episode Two, singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson also performed one of the Swedish group’s biggest hits. She swayed across the stage as she crooned along to “Fernando.” The Night Owl and Medusa then went head-to-head in a battle royale and sang ABBA’s “Winner Takes It All” before Medusa was declared the winner. Gibson revealed in her clue package that she joined the show only 24 hours before she performed.
Polar Bear in Episode 3
Who was behind the mask? Grandmaster Flash
Nicole Scherzinger called it! She guessed that legendary DJ and rapper Grandmaster Flash was behind the polar bear costume.
“In the world today, there’s a lot of sadness. And when I’ve seen this show, on a rough day I have for business, I was laughing,” he said after being unmasked. “It actually had me laughing and it allows you to let your guard down and just have fun. It’s a great show."
Wolf in Episode 4
Who was behind the mask? Michael Bolton
Robin Thicke said the Wolf's voice was "one of a kind," and he was right. Legendary singer Michael Bolton was behind the fierce canine.
He said the mask hindered his ability to hit the right notes, so it doesn't look like it'll be sticking around.
“As a singer, instinctively you want everything clearer and away from your passages,” Bolton said in an interview on the show. “Instead you get this amazing work of art delivered to your room, but then you realize it’s going on your head.”
Squirrel in Episode 5
Who was behind the mask? Malin Akerman
McCarthy guessed Malin Akerman right — but Ken Jeong, her co-star from "Couples Retreat," didn't.
“I totally forgot about ‘Couples Retreat,” Jeong laughed after Ackerman was revealed.
“You know how much I love you. You are so talented. You have an amazing voice. You’re just one of the sweetest people in the world,” he continued.
She revealed her son and dad — all the way from Sweden — were in the audience.
Jackalope in Episode 5
Who was behind the mask? Lele Pons
YouTuber Lele Pons, who recently got married, was behind the mask.
She called the show the right kind of challenge. “I love to do new things. I don’t like to repeat stuff, so I’m here now,” she said. “And I don’t know where I’m going to be tomorrow, but I’m here now and I’m really grateful. Thank you for this opportunity.”
Axolotl in Episode 6
Who was behind the mask: Alexa Bliss
Five-time WWE women’s champion Alexa Bliss couldn't fool McCarthy Wahlberg who correctly guessed that she was behind the mask.
After she was revealed, the wrestler celebrated overcoming her "crippling stage fright" to perform on the show.
"I actually cried backstage before coming out here because I was just so nervous," she told the panelists. "But I am just so proud of myself because I conquered my fear."
Bliss also shared that she deals with anxiety and she wanted to show fans of "The Masked Singer" that anything is possible.
"If anyone else is ever having something where they’re afraid to do something, do something everyday that scares you because I did this today and it was so fun," she said.
Fairy in Episode 6
Who was behind the mask: Holly Robinson Peete
Actor Holly Robinson Peete beautifully belted along to Bonnie Raitt's "Angel from Montgomery" for the show's Country Night, but it wasn't enough to save her from elimination.
She returned to the stage for a "Battle Royale" against Macaw where the two sang Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much" before the “21 Jump Street” star revealed she was behind the colorful mask.
“How did you guys not know?” she asked the panelists, who all failed to guess Peete's identity. “I feel like I know everybody on that panel and nobody knew.”
Despite being voted off, Peete said she had "a lot of fun" and that being on "The Masked Singer" allowed her to show off her singing skills.
Scorpio in Episode 7
Who was behind the mask: Christine Quinn
Reality star Christine Quinn rocked her performance of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper for the 1980s-themed episode but couldn't pull out a win in a battle against Doll.
Quinn and Doll belted out "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran during the battle portion.
Quinn revealed that she has "always loved the show" and calls herself a "closet singer."
"So the fact that I am here on the stage, singing in front of people just goes to show that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and practice," she said.
Moose in Episode 7
Who was behind the mask: George Wendt
Best known for his role as Norm Peterson on the television sitcom "Cheers," George Wendt was revealed on March 29 to be the man behind the character Moose.
He performed what the judges called a "charming" rendition of “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis.
Doll in Episode 8
Who was behind the mask: Dee Snider
Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider was unmasked during the show's "Warner Bros. Movie Night" despite being one of the best competitors this season.
In his final performance, Snider excited the crowd with his rendition of Elvis Presley's hit "Jailhouse Rock."
The panel was surprised to see Snider under the mask but it did not compare to the rocker's amazement that none of the panelists guessed his name.
"I couldn’t believe you guys didn’t get it!” he said when his mask was removed.
He also told the crowd that wearing Doll's massive platform heels on stage was "like riding a bike!"
"I wore them in the ‘70s and it all came back to me once I put them on," he said as he sauntered around.
Dandelion in Episode 9
Who was behind the mask: Alicia Witt
Actor Alicia Witt, who starred in the sitcom "Cybill" and other shows and films like "Twin Peaks" and "Urban Legend," was revealed after Jeong correctly figured out her identity.
"Nothing could prepare me for trying to play the piano and sing and catch my breath with all of this on," the 47-year-old actor said, referring to her elaborate costume.
Witt said she was happy she decided to join the Season Nine cast. "The thing I love the most is getting to connect to people with my music and this has been one of the best experiences of my whole life," she shared.
Lamp in Episode 9
Who was behind the mask: Melissa Joan Hart
"Sabrina the Teenage Witch" star Melissa Joan Hart glowed, literally, in her lamp costume as she sang Bananarama's "Venus" in Episode Nine. Scherzinger applauded her performance, but it wasn't enough to get the actor to advance to the next round.
Despite previously working with Hart on Nickelodeon’s “The Casagrandes," Jeong did not guess she was behind the decorative lamp mask.
When Hart's identity was revealed, she said, "This was something I wanted to do for my kids and for myself. I wanted to overcome something."
She added, "I have never sang in front of people before. It is terrifying to me, so this was like overcoming a fear and I did it, guys! I didn’t fall. I didn’t vomit."
Gargoyle in Episode 11
Who was behind the mask: Keenan Allen
In the episode that aired on April 26, the Gargoyle was revealed to be Keenan Allen, a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Allen had performed "DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” by Usher ft Pitbull as his last song.
Judge Thicke was furious that he'd guessed the wrong Charger, Joe Bosa.
Allen said he was always in choir growing up and it was a "passion" of his.
"Love singing around the homies, to the ladies of course," he said. "I came to the stage and I'm just telling y'all, I'm way more nervous to be on the stage than the football field."
Mantis in Episode 11
Who was behind the mask: Lou Diamond Phillips
Also in the April 26 episode, Mantis was revealed to be actor Lou Diamond Phillips.
Phillips revealed his teen daughter is a huge fan of the show but he asked her permission before going on.
“So, when the opportunity came up, I said, ‘Indigo, what do you think?’ She thought about it because, you know, there’s ‘Dad world’ — the movies and TV things that I do — and then there’s ‘Indigo world’ — stuff that she loves. And there was a moment where it’s like, ‘Please don’t ruin my show.’ She thought about it and finally gave me the permission. And then she got very excited about it, especially when she saw the costume. It turned into a nice little family adventure.”
UFO in Episode 12
Who was behind the mask: Olivia Culpo
In the May 3 episode of "The Masked Singer," the UFO was revealed to be none other than former Miss Universe, Olivia Culpo.
"No freaking way!" judge McCarthy Wahlberg exclaimed upon the reveal.
"I can't believe it's Olivia, my friend, Olivia!" judge Scherzinger said, shocked. "Honestly babe, I know that you're the most gorgeous human ever — I mean, look at that face — but I didn't know you could sing!"
Placing fourth overall, Culpo said her previous singing experience was mostly "in the shower" but after being on the show, she might "kick it up a notch."
After the crowd chanted U-F-O in her honor and the judges lauded her stage presence, Culpo thanked her fans.
"I really do feel like although I had a mask on, this is more of my personality than I got to share for the first time," she said. "So much of what I feel like I have to do is not about that...this was really fun for me."
California Roll in Episode 13
Who was behind the mask: Pentatonix
During the May 10 episode, the five-person group were the latest contestants to be unmasked ahead of the finals.
After performing “Breakaway,” by Kelly Clarkson, the panelists guessed who it was, with Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg and Robin Thicke correctly identifying the sushi as Pentatonix.
“People know us for our a cappella harmonies, but to do it and rearrange stuff with instruments, we just thought this was a really fun opportunity to do something we’ve never done before,” Kevin Olusola said about what made them join the competition. “And thank y’all for having us on this show.”
Macaw in Episode 14
Who was behind the mask: David Archuleta
On the May 17 finale, the Macaw gave it its best shot by performing “Hold Back The River” by James Bay and “All by Myself” by Eric Carmen.
The Macaw had been a popular one in the competition. After a jaw-dropping April episode, in which he performed Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph,” people were guessing it was the “American Idol” alum — and they were right.
Archuleta finished in second place this season.
Winner Medusa in Episode 14
Who was behind the mask: Bishop Briggs
During the finale, the singer belted out My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to The Black Parade” and “Elastic Heart” by Sia for a chance to take home the Golden Mask trophy.
“Oh my gosh, this is the craziest, coolest thing ever,” Briggs said after her unmasking. “Thank you so much. Wow, this is so cool.”
Briggs also congratulated her “huge competitor, David Archuleta.”
“When I heard you in soundcheck, I said, ‘Oh no, but oh yes,’” she said. “This has really been such a surreal journey and the fact that I got to sing an emo anthem, it means so much because when I was hearing David’s story, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. Look at us, a couple of emo kids here on this stage unsure of who we are, not knowing if we wanted to continue on and we made it.’”
“The Masked Singer” will return for Season 10.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
