SPOILER alert: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 10, Episode 9 of “The Masked Singer,” “Disco Night,” which aired Nov. 29 on Fox.
Former O-Town member Ashley Parker Angel had set aside performing in recent years to focus on his health and wellness company, High Level. But when “The Masked Singer” came calling, he couldn’t resist: “It was a hell yes, right from the start,” he told PvNew.
Angel was revealed on Wednesday as the latest celebrity to participate in Season 10 of “The Masked Singer.” He appeared on the show as the S’more, this week performing “That’s the Way (I Like It),” by KC and the Sunshine Band.
“It had been 20 years as a performer traveling all over the world, ‘Pop Star,’ boy band, TV shows on MTV, Broadway, and I was ready to kind of pivot into something else,” Angel said. “So, I really had not been performing in quite some time. And I was a huge fan of ‘The Masked Singer.’ I was like, I got to do this. This is just the perfect show.”
The show’s panelists were all in the boy band space, but only Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg got it right with Angel. Ken Jeong picked AJ MacLean of Backstreet Boys. Robin Thicke named Kevin Richardson of Backstreet Boys. Nicole Scherzinger went with Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block.
“There was a learning curve,” Angel said of performing under the S’more costume. “As a performer, you’re usually not in a giant costume like this. What’s so awesome about ‘The Masked Singer,’ I felt like each performance, I got a little better each performance. It can be a little terrifying when you’re on stage and you’re doing all sorts of choreography. They had asked if I would be willing to do choreography because of my boy band past and my Broadway experience. I was like, ‘Yeah, give me all the choreography.’ Then I actually got in the suit, and I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is so much more of a physical challenge than I had anticipated.’”
Angel said his “Disco Night” performance of KC and the Sunshine Band was his favorite number. Had he continued, Angel had planned to sing “When September Ends” or “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” by Green Day.
As for whether this has rekindled his boy band genes, Angel said he had no plans to return to performing just yet.
“’Masked Singer’ filmed over the course of several weeks, so it didn’t require me taking months off, which is a lot different than a lot of other productions,” he said. “So, it was really kind of the perfect way to celebrate my past. But now I’ve really been focused on building my health and wellness company.”
The singer with the evening’s least number of votes was Angel as S’more. The remaining two contestants facing off in a smackdown to determine who would move on to the finals, were Cow and Gazelle The two contestants sang their own take on “I Will Survive,” by Gloria Gaynor.
Cow was voted Group A champion. For Gazelle, Robin Thicke thought it was Maggie Q, Nicole Scherzinger picked Vanessa Hudgens, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg thought it was Shay Mitchell and Ken Jeong named Constance Wu.
But Gazelle wasn’t unmasked. The panelists decided to use the “Ding Dong Keep It On” bell — which could only be used once during the finals — to save Gazelle from elimination. That means that both Cow and Gazelle move on to the finale. Next up, the Group B Finals will feature Tiki, Husky and Sea Queen. Group C Finals will be between Anteater, Candelabra and Donut.
It was “Disco Night” on “The Masked Singer,” which opened with the Trammps singing their hit “Disco Inferno.” Later, Taylor Dayne (who appeared on the show in Season 4 as Popcorn) also performed “I Will Survive.”
Ashley Parker Angel as S’more joins Metta World Peace as Cuddle Monster, Luann de Lesseps as Hibiscus, Tyler Posey as Hawk, Billie Jean King as Royal Hen, Michael Rapaport as Pickle, Tom Sandoval as Diver, Anthony Anderson as Rubber Ducky and one-time special guest Demi Lovato as Anonymouse as the Season 10 unmasked celebrities so far.
“The Masked Singer” features 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,” “Husky,” “Tiki,” “Pickle,” “Rubber Ducky,” “Candelabra,” “Cow,” “Sea Queen,” “Anonymouse” 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:
Cow
Song: “Ring My Bell,” by Anita Ward
Panel guesses: Ne-Yo,Usher,Nelly
Clue: “Husband.” “My husband, your husband Jenny. This cow is absolutely a lady. However, I have spent some time with your hubby.”
Package voiceover: “Getting everyone up and moo-ving on 2000s night was such a blast. I’m so thrilled to be in the Group A finals. My mom is the strongest person I’ve ever met. She’s been my foundation forever and she still is. Growing up, I recall my mom having seven jobs at one time. Like literally coming home from one, long enough to eat a sandwich, and then on to the next one. Watching her struggle was hard. So, it was always my dream to find a way to take care of her in the way she took care of me. And the day I was able to support her with my music was the day I felt like I really made it. If I learned nothing from her, it’s that you can fall a million times, but if you get up on a million and one, you’re still in the race. That advice has been the secret to my success, and I’m channeling it tonight to make it into the finale.”
Previous songs: “Bones,” by Imagine Dragons; “Treasure,” by Bruno Mars; “Cry Me A River,” by Justin Timberlake
Previous panel guesses: Shawn Stockman, Usher, Leslie Odom, Jr., Trey Songs, Ne-Yo, Mario, Nelly, Jason Derulo, Ne-Yo, Taye Diggs
Gazelle
Song: “On the Radio,” by Donna Summer
Panel guesses: Auli’I Cravalho, Vanessa Hudgens, Maggie Q, Constance Wu
Clue: “Island Vibes.” “Hey Nicole, just like you, I too hold the islands close to my heart.”
Package voiceover: “Making it to the Group A finals feels incredible. And one step closer to the finale. And I’m not going to stop here. I was truly a hammy performative kid. Every night I would wear a different costume, sit at the top of our stairs and put on a show for my family. But I was definitely the black sheep. My parents were athletes, my sister was always focused on academics. Despite being so different from them, they’ve always showed me nothing but support. My parents made a lot of sacrifices for me. They uprooted their entire lives just so I could live my dreams. And I wouldn’t be here without them. So tonight, this performance is a thank you for their unconditional love.”
Previous song: “Uninvited,” by Alanis Morrisette; “The One That Got Away,” by Katy Perry; “Lucky,” by Britney Spears
Previous panel guesses: Camila Mendes, Lucy Hale, Vanessa Hudgens, Leighton Meester, Constance Wu, Auli’i Cravalho, Mandy Moore, Hillary Duff, Ashley Tisdale
S’more
Song: “That’s the Way (I Like It),” by KC and the Sunshine Band
Panel guesses: Kevin Richardson, Ashley Parker Angel, Jordan Knight
Clue: Key. “Robin, I’ve been inside your house. And you have great taste in music and home décor.”
Package voiceover: “I’m on fire after beating Pickle in the smackdown. Now, making it into the finale would be a dream come true. When I got here, I’ve got to be honest, I was a little nervous. This has been unlike any other experience I’ve had as a performer. This costume is hot and it’s heavy. And it’s a hell of a lot of cardio. I’ve been up until 2 or 3 in the morning practicing my choreography. It’s like I’m back in boy band bootcamp. But, me and the S’more are becoming one, and I’m really starting to feel a different level of confidence in this competition. Before I got here, the thought of returning to the stage felt scary. But hearing the panel’s comments week after week has meant so much to me and has made me feel like I still belong on a stage. So tonight, I’m bringing my ‘A’ game and I’m here to roast the competition. No pun intended, or pun intended.”
Previous songs: “Slow Hands,” by Niall Horan; “Moves Like Jagger,” by Maroon 5; “Hey There Delilah,” by Plain White Ts
Previous panel guesses: Joey McIntyre, Justin Guarini, Kevin Richardson, JC Chasez, Simu Liu, Jordan Knight, James Marsden, Rob Thomas, Ashley Parker Angel
“The Masked Singer” is produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment, with James Breen (who is also showrunner), Craig Plestis and Cannon as executive producers.
