*Caution: Spoilers ahead!
The Masked Singer season 11 kept the good times rolling on Wednesday with the return of some fan-favorite contestants from Group A!
This week’s slate of singers all gave it their best shot to secure their spot in the ongoing race for the Golden Mask Trophy — but the tension was ratcheted up as the episode featured a double elimination!
One more, the show’s panel of celebrity “detectives” — including Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy and newcomer Rita Ora — did their best to deduce the secret identities of the costumed contestants with some help from host Nick Cannon.
The Starfish, Ugly Sweater, The Lovebird, The Goldfish, and new Wild Card contestant The Koala hit the stage for “Transformers Night,” belting out songs that appeared in the films in the Transformers franchise.
The Starfish was up first, and she kicked the night off with a classic rock ballad: Green Day’s “21 Guns” that showed off her ability to hit high notes and her talent at winning over the audience.
“We loved you the first time we saw you, but this performance, your star just shined brighter,” McCarthy marveled. “We adore you!”
Ugly Sweater was the next costumed star to hit the stage, and amped up the funkiness with a crowd-pleasing cover of “Brick House” by Commodores.
“Wow, don’t let the Ugly Sweater fool you — the notes that that Sweater was hitting right now? Whoo, boy!” Thicke praised. “It was nasty. It was dirty. It was funky. It was, whoo!”
The Lovebird flew out next to show off his pipes, and he left it all on the stage with a rendition of “All That You Are” by Goo Goo Dolls that won the hearts of the audience and impressed the panel.
“Did you guys notice that there was more confidence in Lovebird this week?” McCarthy asked her fellow panelists. “It’s like you spread your wings, you opened your heart even more, and we all felt it tonight, Lovebird.”
The fourth returning Group A singer, The Goldfish, brought a seductive vibe to the show, using her stylish costume and sultry voice to deliver a memorable performance of “Baby Come Back” by Player.
“Well, the vocals were incredible. She went for the high notes. The crowd went crazy, and she brings a whole other pizzazz to the whole thing,” Thicke said.
Finally, for the last act of the night, the panel was introduced to a new Wild Card contestant — The Koala, a regally dressed entertainer with a Renaissance vibe.
Breaking from tradition, The Koala began his performance outside the studio — on what appeared to be the roof of a skyscraper — before walking out onto the stage and performing “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears.
“That was easily the biggest surprise of the evening,” Thicke marveled. “With song choices like that and vocals like that, you could ‘Ko-all’ the way.”
After all the songs were sung, it was time for the audience to vote for their favorite performer of the night, sending the singer with the least votes home.
When it came time for the night’s first unmasking, it was The Lovebird who had to “take it off” — and he revealed himself to be none other than Bachelor alum Colton Underwood.
When asked why he chose to join The Masked Singer, Underwood explained, “Man, I feel like I worked my entire life playing football. I never got to experience the arts and music and theater, so thank you for letting me go back in the past and explore that creative kid. I’ve had so much fun on this show.”
After The Lovebird’s exit, it was time to find out who else would be taking it off in the night’s second unmasking. Surprisingly, it was The Koala whose time was up after only one performance. After the panel made their final guesses, The Koala revealed himself to be NFL Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware.
“All my life, I’ve always worn a mask, but I sacked quarterbacks doing that,” Ware shared with the panel. “And now I put on the Koala mask and no one knew who I was, and so the true personality of me actually came out.”
“I got to have fun, and it was one of the funnest experiences I’ve ever had,” he added.
Next week, The Goldfish, The Starfish and The Ugly Sweater will return to the stage for the Group A finals, and only one will be making it to the next stage of the competition.
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
Check out the gallery below for a look at every single contestant who has ever had to “take it off” throughout the history of the show!
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