SPOILER alert: Do not read ahead if you have not watched the Season 9, episode 6 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired March 22 on Fox.
You’d better be ready to, be ready to… Jump! Off of “The Masked Singer.” Actor Holly Robinson Peete, known for “21 Jump Street” among other things, was one of the two more celebrities who unmasked on Wednesday’s edition of “The Masked Singer.” Also out: WWE star Alexa Bliss, who just made headlines this week for revealing that she had been diagnosed with skin cancer, and recently underwent a procedure for it.
For Axolotl, panelist Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg got it right, naming Alexa Bliss (real names Alexis Kaufman and Alexis “Lexi” Cabrera). Robin Thicke guessed Nikki Bella. Ken Jeong thought it was Brie Bella. Nicole Scherzinger picked McKayla Maroney.
As for Fairy, no one guessed Robinson Peete. Scherzinger went with Tracee Ellis Ross, McCarthy Wahlberg thought it was Corrine Foxx, Thicke chose Lori Harvey and Jeong went with Jennifer Aniston.
Like last season, “The Masked Singer” has once again adopted a “Champion of Masked Singer” format. Each episode, three costumed celebrities will perform, but only one will win and move on to compete again the following week. After each round, three finalists will compete in the semi-finals.
That means one contestant will be unmasked midway through the episode, with the top two singers facing off in a “battle royale.” After Bliss as Axolotl was first to be unmasked, that left Fairy and Macaw to face off with “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” by Shania Twain. Fairy received fewer votes and was unmasked as Robinson Peete. Macaw moves on to next week’s episode.
Holly Robinson Peete as Fairy and Alexa Bliss as Axolotl join Lele Pons as Jackalope, Malin Akerman as Squirrel, Michael Bolton as the Wolf, Grandmaster Flash as Polar Bear, Debbie Gibson as Night Owl, Howie Mandel as Rock Lobster, Sara Evans as Mustang and Dick Van Dyke as Gnome as the celebrities unmasked this season.
It was “Country Night,” and the episode featured as guests country music starDeana Carter,comedianBill Engvalland NFL starRobert Woods, whoeach delivered a special clue for Macaw, Fairy, and Axolotl (respectively).
New this season is “Ding Dong Keep It On.” In the new twist to the competition, panelists will have the opportunity to save asingerfrom looming elimination, but the bell can only be rung three times during the first three rounds. Those three singers will then face off on a special episode in a battle to rejoin the competition. On Wednesday, the bell was not rung.
“The Masked Singer” enters Season 9 with 21 contestants include “Mustang,” “Axolotl,” “California Roll,” “Dandelion,” “Moose,” “Gargoyle,” “Jackalope,” “Doll,” Polar Bear,” “Night Owl,” “Rock Lobster,” “Gnome,” “Macaw,” “Squirrel,” “Wolf”and more to be announced. Tim Chappel is this season’s costume designer.
The Season 9 contestants “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, four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a combined 95,231,000 records sold.” Season nine will introduce all-new themed episodes, including “ABBA,” “New York,” “DC Superheroes,” “Sesame Street,” “80s Night,” “Movie Night” and more.
Here were the contestants and their performances on night six:
The Fairy (HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE)
Song: “Angel from Montgomery,” by Bonnie Raitt
Panel guesses: Jennifer Aniston, Aisha Morris, Mickey Guyton, Lori Harvey
Clue: (From comedian Bill Engvall) Blackjack (21). “I know something about winning. And with this hand, I could really take you to school.”
Package voiceover: “It feels so good to take the champion title last week. Linda is a dear friend, so I had to do her song justice. She’s been rooting for me since I was 13. You see, music is a huge part of my life and I’m loving every second I’m on stage. But two new challengers are looking to send me home. I say, bring it. I’m so excited that tonight is country night. There’s something about country music that sticks to your ribs. Tonight, I’m singing a song that I loved as a little girl, by an artist that I still look up to. It’s a true classic in my book, like this new clue. [A book that says ‘Fairy’s Tales.’] Any guesses?”
Previous song: “You’re No Good,” by Linda Ronstadt
Previous panel guesses: Tracee Ellis Ross, Angelina Jolie, Rashida Jones
Axolotl (ALEXA BLISS)
Song: “Can’t Fight the Moonlight,” by Leann Rimes
Panel guesses: Nikki or Brie Bella, Alexa Bliss, Simone Biles
Clue: NFL star Robert Woods holds a helmet with the words “2.3 million.” “That’s how many people watch me when I work, and that’s just on a Monday.”
Package voiceover: “I’m so excited to be a part of your world on Country Night as the Axolotl. Axo-what? I had to Google it too. It’s a mouthful, but she’s very cute and rowdy, just like me. But while I’m confident in all that now, it took a long time to get here. As a kid I was bullied so bad, I had to transfer schools. They made me feel so small and I let their words eat away at me so much, that’s what I stopped doing – eating. I almost withered away. Until one day during my darkest moment, I heard a song that helped me recover. I fell in love with the voice, and eventually the man. He helped me realize that the only way my life would be a perfect 10 was to build myself up instead of tearing myself down. Now I’m definitely not the best singer who has ever stepped on this stage, but I do promise I will embrace my inner diva and have the most fun. Xo xo!”
Macaw (WINNER)
Song: “Live Like You’re Dying,” by Tim McGraw
Panel guesses: Elijah Wood, Zayn Malik, Doug Robb
Clue: Country singer Deana Carter delivered a silver medal. “It wasn’t until I left the nest that I struck gold.”
Package voiceover: “I’m so excited to become the Macaw, because he’s everything that I’m not. Flashy, confident and he sings country songs. Even though I’ve been performing since a young age, it definitely didn’t start out as a passion. My dad would bribe me with quesadillas to perform at our local Mexican restaurant. And eventually, I spread my wings on bigger stages. But the pressure to be always the good son has brought me so much anxiety. But somewhere on the journey of melted cheese and panic attacks, I learned to take breaks and reset. What started as a way to make my parents happy turned into what actually fills me with glee. This is the year I decided to be brave not only on stage but in my own life. So, this feels like the perfect opportunity to put my newfound courage on display.”
