SPOILER alert: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 10, Episode 2 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired Sept. 27 on Fox.
“Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson was revealed as Rubber Ducky on Wednesday night’s episode of “The Masked Singer.” The Fox competition show’s Season 10 was back to kick off regular season game play — following a special episode on Sept. 17 that featured the unmasking of Demi Lovato.
Ken Jeong got it right, straight off the bat, with Anthony Anderson. Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg thought it was Marlon Wayans, Robin Thicke went with David Arquette and Nicole Scherzinger named Jaleel White.
Anderson as Rubber Ducky sang “Come On Eileen,” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners, for his performance. Here was his clue package voiceover: “Hey there. The name’s Rubber Ducky. Ready to splash on the stage. Here’s how my story goes. Movies and TV shows, I’m used to being the rage. Oh yeah. I started out pretty humble. Came up from nothing to fame. Nice to see you all. Tried stand-up comedy, learned it wasn’t for me. But now, I’m a household name. I can say that I’ve made my way solitarily. But behind everything I do is my family. You know it. So now that you see, here we go. I’ll quack my way to the finale.”
Anthony Anderson as Rubber Ducky joins previous Season 10 unmasked celebrity (and one-time special guest) Demi Lovato as Anonymouse.
“The Masked Singer” will include a new format this season, with three groups followed by Battle Royale semi-final episodes. The season also includes the return of Wild Card contestants, with one Wild Card introduced to each group, and the “Ding Dong Keep It On Bell” is back in the Battle Royale semi-final episodes, where the judges can choose to save one contestant from elimination and move them directly to the finale.
With sixteen total celebrity singers, Season 10 features new costumes including “Donut,” “Anteater,” “Hawk,” “Hibiscus,” “Diver,” “Gazelle,” “Royal Hen,” “Pickle,” “Cow,” “Rubber Ducky” and a life-size “S’More.” Also returning to mark the show’s 10th are celebrities who have been previously unmasked since the show began. According to the show, Season 10 contestants “boast a combined 40 medals, 33 Grammy nominations, seven hall of fame awards, three lifetime achievement awards and over 50 tattoos.”
The season’s themed episodes will include a tribute to Elton John; a “Trolls Night” tied to the November release of DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls Band Together”; a “Harry Potter Night” airing the week of Halloween; “NFL Night”; “One Hit Wonders”; “Disco”; “2000s Night”; “I Wanna Rock”; and “Soundtrack of My Life.” Back for Season 10 are host Nick Cannon, alongside panelists Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke.
Here were the other performances on this week’s episode:
Gazelle
Song: “Uninvited,” by Alanis Morrisette
Panel guesses: Camila Mendes, Lucy Hale, Vanessa Hudgens
Clue: Movie soundtrack. “Not only do I act in movies, I also sing in them.”
Package voiceover: “Like a gazelle, I’ve always leapt head-first into opportunities to be on stage. After seeing a Broadway show at 6 years old, I knew I wanted to perform for a living. When I was just a teenager, I took a huge chance and performed in a national talent competition. But, I crashed and burned. It was superbad. It made me almost swear off singing for good. But music was always my first love. Now, I’m ready to prove to myself that I’m ready to get up there again and prove my all. There’s so much beauty in conquering your fears. And, it really helps if you can face them behind a gorgeous Gazelle mask.”
Diver
Song: “Any Way You Want It,” by Journey
Panel guesses: Adam Levine, Tom Sandoval, Scott Disick
Clue: A magazine that says, “11 million eyes on Diver.” “The more people talk about my business, the more I want them out of it.”
Package voiceover: “Diving into a completely different persona feels like a nice escape. I’ve been everyone’s favorite person to hate. And to be honest, I get it. I’m the first to admit that I’ve made mistakes. But honestly, I did it for love. It hurts when I get judged by people who have never even met me. And become a scapegoat for every bad dude they’ve ever known. But I’m hoping all of that will melt away when I hit the stage. Getting to share my voice without the preconceived notion of who I am is really what I need right now. So tonight, I’m really getting my head in the game. Because I’m not ready to go back to the real world just yet.”
S’more
Song: “Slow Hands,” by Niall Horan
Panel guesses: Joey McIntyre, Justin Guarini, Kevin Richardson
Clue: “Starring S’more” on a film platter. “As you can tell, I’m very talented on and off stage.”
Package voiceover: “Gather round, campers, for the tale of the swashbuckling S’more. Just like this many-layered dessert forged in fire, my life has been all about blazing my own trail. I started out on a rocket to fame. A journey from obscurity to major heartthrob status in a matter of weeks. Millions cheered me on, step by step, as I became a household name. I traveled the lands near and far, making headlines with fellow adventurers and idols. It was bliss. And when I finished with my travels, I hung up my cape. I thought it was the end of the road, but I was still hungry for a new journey. So that’s why I’m here to conquer the Masked Singer stage. This S’more is going to make you melt.”
Rubber Ducky
Song: “Come On Eileen,” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Panel guesses: David Arquette, Wayans Brothers, Anthony Anderson
Clue: “The Duckys” signed celebrity headshot. “My family is full of stars. Check out the headshot.”
Package voiceover: “Hey there. The name’s Rubber Ducky. Ready to splash on the stage. Here’s how my story goes. Movies and TV shows, I’m used to being the rage. Oh yeah. I started out pretty humble. Came up from nothing to fame. Nice to see you all. Tried stand-up comedy, learned it wasn’t for me. But now, I’m a household name. I can say that I’ve made my way solitarily. But behind everything I do is my family. You know it. So now that you see, here we go. I’ll quack my way to the finale.”
Cow
Song: “Bones,” by Imagine Dragons
Panel guesses: Shawn Stockman, Usher, Leslie Odom, Jr.
Clue: “Blockbuster” movie ticket. “One of the better things about me all started with a moo-vie.”
Package voiceover: “Cows like me don’t often make it out of their pen. When I was younger, I felt destined to stay at home and live out a simple life in black and white. But I always knew I wanted to stand out. I had big dreams of being a big star. But I used to have a little trouble handling my emotions. Until I discovered I could write, and leave whatever I was feeling on the page. After that, everything changed. The gift eventually led me to No. 1. I won Grammys, traveled the world, I made hit after hit. I guess you could say I was my own cash cow. I was always meant to live my life in color. And I’m bringing that same energy to the stage. Because you’re about to see, there’s no one like me.”
“The Masked Singer” is produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment, with James Breen (who is also showrunner), Craig Plestis and Cannon as executive producers.
