The Masked Singer predictions: EW's picks for which celebs are under the masks
The best part of watching Fox’s singing competition The Masked Singer is trying to guess which celebrity is under each costume. Eight contestants have already been unmasked this season, and we’ve compiled a list of our best guesses for each of the surviving costumed competitors based on all of the clues provided so far. Some of the singers, like Flamingo and Flower, were a breeze to crack, while others, like Butterfly and Tree, left us perplexed. Here’s what we’ve got:
Butterfly
Butterfly has wowed us with her strong voice, along with intriguing hints at who she could be. There was the London connection, waiting for “metamorphosis” this past year, religious imagery, “losing flight” after being a household name, and a butterfly tattoo.
We’re leaning toward former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams, who could have grappled with post-girl group fame. She lived in London while taking part in a production of Chicago, and she grew up singing in church and has released albums with gospel themes. Williams also broke off an engagement to her pastor fiance last year — hence waiting for “metamorphosis” or change. And there are even photos that claim to be of her butterfly tattoo.
After the Nov. 6 episode, we’ve never been more sure that Williams is behind the wings. Butterfly said she’s been singing since age 7 and she’s won a BRIT Award, plus her clue item on stage was a forensics kit. Williams made her singing debut at age 7 and won a BRIT Award with the rest of Destiny’s Child. While the clues referenced “bleeding love,” songstress Leona Lewis has only been nominated for the prize. And guess who studied criminal justice in college before pursuing her musical career? Michelle Williams. We rest our case.
UPDATE: Butterfly has been eliminated. Check if our prediction was right.
Judges’ guesses: Cara Delevingne, Fantasia, Mel B, Diana Ross, Twiggy, Leona Lewis, Michelle Williams, Norah Jones
Thingamajig
Fans (including judge Nicole Scherzinger) are falling in love with Thingamajig’s sultry voice. Some viewers quickly surmised that basketball player Victor Oladipo is the man behind the mask. His towering 6’3″ stature aligns with Thingamajig’s height, while clues alluding to sports, magic, and the number 4 also make sense. Oladipo once played for the Orlando Magic and he currently wears No. 4 on the Indiana Pacers (his birthday is also May 4). Plus, Oladipo has a YouTube channel where he uploads music videos, and he even recently released an album.
Many viewers were scratching their heads over Thingamajig’s clue about going to rehab from week 4, but it could mean sports rehab — Oladipo suffered a 2018-2019 season riddled with injuries and had to undergo surgery on his tendon this year. The dead giveaway was Thingamajig’s on-stage clue item on Nov. 6, where he presented an American Sign Language book. Oladipo’s older sister is deaf, so the clue definitely means he learned or is learning ASL to communicate with her.
Judges’ guesses: Michael Strahan, Steph Curry, Dennis Rodman, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Montell Jordan, Tony Parker, Ronnie DeVoe
UPDATE: Thingamajig has been eliminated. See if our guess was on the mark.
Ladybug
We’re stuck on two good guesses for this one: Kelly Osbourne and Jamie Lynn Spears. They both come from famous families and have been the subject of controversy — that would explain the “born into limelight” and “lifetime of drama” clues.
But a few signs point more to Osbourne, especially the Brady Bunch segment that could apply to her family’s reality show. As for the ham, scorpion, and gavel images — on The Osbournes, the family threw a ham into their neighbor’s yard, Osbourne is a Scorpio, and the gavel could reference her previous arrest or that she’s been on a judge on shows like Australia’s Got Talent.
Judges’ guesses: Lily Collins, Lindsay Lohan, Willow Smith, Jamie Lynn Spears
UPDATE: Ladybug has been eliminated. See if we were right.
Rottweiler
Some strong names have been thrown out for Rottweiler’s real persona, including Robbie Williams and Chris Daughtry. Both are experienced singers, which isn’t surprising since Rottweiler flawlessly belted out Hall & Oates’ “Maneater.” However, the teasers are leaning toward Daughtry.
The former American Idol contestant has said he pursued football before turning to music — thus, the pigskin and Fantasy Champion ring hints. Two particular clues are dead giveaways: blue roses translate to Daughtry’s tattoo, and “It’s Not Over” is also a track his band released.
Rottweiler’s clues on weeks 5- 6 have us certain that he’s Daughtry. Nov. 6’s clues gave away some good hints, such as the “Pete,” “Carolina,” and “Kale” boxes in the package that all applied to the crooner. His father’s nickname is Pete, he hails from North Carolina, and he’s a vegan. This week, on Nov. 13, the North Carolina flag popped up in the clues and Rottweiler showed off a painting he made of guest judge Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. The Carolina clue already makes sense, and Daughtry has said he enjoys painting.
But … Williams is also a vegan, his father’s name is Peter, and he also paints … just sayin’.
Judges’ guesses: Russell Wilson, Brian Littrell, Nick Lachey, JC Chasez, Bruno Mars, Kevin Jonas, Patrick Monahan, Gavin DeGraw, Darren Criss, James Franco
UPDATE: Rottweiler has left the competition. Find out if our guess was correct.
Tree
We’ll be honest, the Tree has us stumped, but we’ll go out on a limb to say we’re leaning toward Beverly D’Angelo or Ana Gasteyer being under the tinsel. The video package showcases Christmas hints and Tree says she’s known for “just one thing.” D’Angelo has had a long career but is best known for starring in the National Lampoon’s Vacation film series, particularly 1989’s Christmas Vacation installment, which would lead to her lamenting only being of “use” during a certain season. The beloved Christmas movie will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, which leads to the prominence of the number 30 in the clue package. D’Angelo also has a musical background, and videos of her singing could be a match with Tree’s performance of Panic at the Disco’s “High Hopes.”
Then there’s Saturday Night Live alum Gasteyer, who’s a seasoned Broadway performer and has released Christmas and jazz albums (“I’m here to jazz up my career” clue). One of her SNL highlights was the Christmas-themed “Schweddy Balls” sketch with Alec Baldwin, in which she and Molly Shannon played hosts of the “Delicious Dish” radio program and Tree does mention being “more than an expert in delicious treats.” Additionally, SNL is taped at 30 Rock, so the number 30 hint applies here, too.
However, Tree doesn’t seem too tall, and Gasteyer’s 5’7″ stature (plus heels) might count her out. Other celebs that could also fit the bill include Rachael Ray, Marie Osmond, Cassandra Peterson (a.k.a. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), and Candace Cameron Bure.
We’re eating our words a bit after Nov. 13’s episode. All signs seem to point to Gasteyer — the three pennies on the playbill must be a reference to her role in The Threepenny Opera on Broadway, and her line about soup being key in her life could allude to her appearance on the famous “Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfeld. And during week 5, the White House image might reference Gasteyer’s upbringing in Washington, D.C., and the “Not a regular tree, a cool tree” line has to equal her role Cady’s mom in Mean Girls. And all the earlier food and cooking clues can be explained by her famed Martha Stewart impression on SNL.
Judges’ guesses: Beverly D’Angelo, Zooey Deschanel, Rachael Ray, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Amy Sedaris, Padma Lakshmi, Molly Shannon, Lauren Graham
UPDATE: Tree has been axed. See if our guess was correct.
Black Widow
All signs point to Raven-Symoné as Black Widow. The “packaged” and director’s cut clues could connect to the “squeaky-clean” image hints for Symoné’s background as a child star on The Cosby Show, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, and Disney Channel projects like The Cheetah Girls (more on that later). She’s also from Georgia, hence the peach clue. The crown and empire hints may refer to her appearances on Empire (although that might be too on the nose), and tarot cards call back to Symoné playing a teen psychic on That’s So Raven. The most telling clue, however, is the cheetah print that showed up in one of Black Widow’s package clues.
No wonder Black Widow nailed intimidating songs like Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” — Symoné is a professional singer!
Judges’ guesses: Amber Riley, Yvette Nicole Brown, Sherri Shepherd, Raven-Symoné, Christina Aguilera, Tatyana Ali
UPDATE: Black Widow has been eliminated. See if we were right.
Leopard
The Leopard is a whole other animal — that’s to say we believe Seal is under the mask. On stage, the Leopard looms over 6’1″ host Nick Cannon, and the English singer is a towering 6’4″ himself. The clue package showed a baby in a basket being left on the doorstep of a building labeled with the number 1963, along with clues that before Leopard reached “the top,” he “wasn’t born a winner” and “wasn’t always wanted.” Seal was born in 1963 and raised by a foster family. On stage, Leopard also mentioned his humble beginnings, saying that he once served fast food. Guess where the Grammy-winning “Kiss From a Rose” singer reportedly used to work when he was younger? McDonald’s. Boom.
If that’s not enough for you, other supporting clues include mention of the media focusing on “the celebrity aspect” of the Leopard’s life and a newspaper with “The Runway” as a headline — these hint at Seal’s highly publicized marriage and subsequent split with supermodel and former Project Runway host Heidi Klum.
Beware of clues designed to throw people off — with the Pose hint, Nov. 6’s clue package obviously wanted us to think Leopard was Billy Porter. But, the clues saying Leopard has performed at the White House only applies to Seal. Plus, the masked contestant said photography was his hobby on stage, and Seal has said echoed the same sentiment. We’re 100% sure it’s the British crooner.
Judges’ guesses: Billy Porter, Robbie Williams, Jamie Foxx, RuPaul, Neil Patrick Harris (we’re booing Ken Jeong for that last one), Bobby Brown, Tyler Perry
UPDATE: Leopard has been eliminated. See if our guess was spot on.
Flamingo
Although it seems unlikely, we think there may be two Cheetah Girls in our midst. We’re betting that Black Widow is Symoné and Adrienne Bailon is Flamingo, and the internet also seems pretty sure that the singer and The Real co-host is behind the pink feathers.
Flamingo has revealed some telling clues, including that she came from “humble beginnings,” grew into a “Hollywood triple threat,” and once had aspirations to become a doctor. From interviews, Bailon’s confirmed her humble background, she was in the music group 3LW (a.k.a. triple threat), and at one point she attended school geared toward health care.
The hints during week 5 were pretty broad, but they all pointed in Bailon’s direction. The “mira” line indicates that Flamingo speaks Spanish, which is true of Bailon, who hails from a Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian family. On stage, Flamingo also showed off her NAACP Image Award, and Bailon has two for The Real. Bingo.
Judges’ guesses: Olivia Jade, Kandi Burruss, Tia Mowry, Ally Brooke, Adrienne Bailon, Fantasia, Pink
UPDATE: Flamingo has gone home. Find out if our prediction was right.
Flower
Another sure bet is Patti LaBelle as the Flower. Some of the clues: she’s done everything from “cooking to clothing to craft” and there are pictures of a gay pride flag and a diploma. LaBelle is a legendary singer, so it’s no question that she’d slay Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.” Besides music, LaBelle also has a clothing line, a cookbook, and her own brand of desserts, including sweet potato pies that have gone viral. The “Lady Marmalade” songstress is an outspoken advocate in the fight against HIV/AIDS and has been honored by GLAAD. The Godmother of Soul also has honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and Temple University.
In total, LaBelle has 13 Grammy nominations, including two wins, which goes a long way to fulfill Cannon’s tip that there are 42 Grammy nods between all the contestants. The only way it wouldn’t be LaBelle is if The Masked Singer is deliberately fooling us with obvious clues, plus LaBelle is so iconic she has nothing left to prove by going on the show.
After weeks 5 and 6, we’re totally confident that Flower is LaBelle. The French flag in the clue package tied in with her French surname, and the number 524 is likely a reference to LaBelle’s May 24th birthday. Her hints about Secret Garden and being introverted aren’t dead giveaways, but LaBelle has a song called “Secret Garden” and has talked about being introverted.
Judges’ guesses: Jessie J, Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Hudson, Björk, Shirley Bassey, Anita Baker, Jennifer Holliday
UPDATE: Flower has been eliminated. See if we were right on the money.
Penguin
The Penguin’s clues have been pretty specific, and we’re going with Sherri Shepherd as the flightless bird’s celebrity identity. In the package, Penguin says she doesn’t “need a permission slip” to be who she is, and then leads a protest where a sign has “I am not your secretary” written on it. Shepherd wrote a book called Permission Slips: Every Woman’s Guide to Giving Herself a Break, and she once worked as a legal secretary.
Near the mirror shown in the clue package are pictures of Queen Rania of Jordan, and on 30 Rock, Shepherd’s character starred in a fake reality show called Queen of Jordan. The Penguin also wore a bunch of wigs in her clues, and Shepherd has her own wig line. Finally, the Penguin might be one of the shortest contestants so far and, at 5’1″, Shepherd could definitely fit the bill.
Judges’ guesses: Melissa McCarthy, Megan Mullally, Kathy Griffin, Sherri Shepherd
UPDATE: Penguin has been eliminated. See if we were right.
Fox
You don’t have to be as cunning as a fox to guess Wayne Brady is under this mask. That voice alone, come on! The clue package was filled with superhero references, and the telling line was “from Doogie to Doubtfire, I’ve laughed with them all.” Brady has lent his voice to Batman Beyond, he played brother to Neil Patrick Harris’ (Doogie Howser, M.D.) on How I Met Your Mother, and he’s riffed with Mrs. Doubtfire himself, Robin Williams, on Whose Line Is It Anyway? He’s also hosted a billion shows, from his own talk show to Let’s Make a Deal, so he’d be right at home on a reality competition program like The Masked Singer. Our case is closed.
Fox spoke about being bullied and his voice wavering in week 5’s clue package, and later on stage said he imagined he would one day wear a uniform. Brady has talked about his childhood, when he was bullied for his stutter and planned to join the military. Nov. 13’s “Everybody Say Yeah” clue could mean the song from Kinky Boots, the musical that Brady starred in on Broadway in 2013. And “pack of talented fellas” seems to be a definite nod to the Whose Line is it Anyways cast.
Judges’ guesses: Leslie Odom Jr., Anthony Mackie, Tyrese Gibson, Jamie Foxx, AJ McClean, Ne-Yo, Sterling K. Brown, Shawn Stockman
Let us know if you think we’re on point with our predictions or if you have even better guesses in the comments below.
UPDATE: Fox has gone home. Find out if our theory was accurate.
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