Katie Peterson
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Last updated on August 7th, 2023 at 08:49 am
Who’s behind the mask?
It’s the question asked across the country every week since Fox premiered the first season of the singing competition, The Masked Singer, on Jan. 2, 2019. In this article, find out all about The Masked Singer, the celebrities behind the mask in season one, and who won the competition.
What is the Masked Singer?
Executive produced by Izzie Pick Ibarra, The Masked Singer is the American version of South Korean show The King of Mask Singer, which was developed by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation.
Each week, celebrity contestants disguised in elaborate costumes perform songs with the help of computer-generated voices. They also give clues about their identities throughout.
After each performance, the panel of judges offers guesses as to who the mystery performer might be. Additionally, each week one singer is eliminated and unmasked according to the votes of the judges and audience members.
Who appeared in the premiere season of the now highly popular show? Who reigned supreme? Let’s find out.
The Host and Judges
The first season of The Masked Singer was hosted by actor, rapper, comedian, and television host Nick Cannon.
Four celebrities served as the regular judges of the first season. They were singer-songwriter Robin Thicke, actress Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, actor Ken Jeong, and singer-songwriter Nicole Scherzinger.
Additionally, a fifth celebrity served as a guest panelist for some of the episodes. Guest judges included actor and comedian Joey McHale, comedian Kenan Thompson, and actor and comedian J.B. Smoove.
The Masked Singer Season One Reveals
Are you ready to find out who was under each mask? Here’s how the season officially played out, beginning with who was eliminated first. Keep reading to see all of The Masked Singer Season 1 reveals.
12. Who is the Hippo on the Masked Singer?
In the premiere episode of season one, in which six of the 12 disguised celebrities performed, the Hippo was the first to be eliminated after performing “My Prerogative” by Bobby Brown.
The Hippo Masked Singer turned out to be National Football League wide receiver, Antonio Brown
Brown, who is currently a free agent, has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Las Vegas Raiders (then the Oakland Raiders), the New England Patriots, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Masked Singer was Brown’s second appearance in a reality television competition, having first appeared in season 22 of Dancing with the Stars. He and his partner Sharna Burgess finished in fourth place.
11. Who is the Pineapple on the Masked Singer?
The second episode of season one featured performances by the second half of the 12-contestant lineup – Rabbit, Alien, Raven, Pineapple, Poodle and Bee.
While Alien and Poodle were at risk, it was Pineapple who was ultimately unlimited and unmasked after their performance of “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor.
The Pineapple Masked Singer was revealed to be none other than Canadian actor and comedian Tommy Chong, best known for his Cheech and Chong Comedy Albums with American actor and comedian Cheech Marin, and for playing Leo on the 90s sitcom That 70’s Show.
10. Who is the Deer on the Masked Singer?
The Deer Masked Singer was revealed to be NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw following his elimination on the third week, which aired on Jan. 16, 2019. He performed “Get Your Shine On” by country duo Florida Georgia Line.
Bradshaw’s elimination didn’t come as much of a surprise, considering his first performance of “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons left him at risk in week one.
Bradshaw played quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the entirety of his 13-year NFL career. He led the Steelers to four Super Bowl championships, was named Super Bowl MVP twice, and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1978.
Related: The 50 Best Country Songs from Jimmie Rodgers to Morgan Wallen
9. Who is Poodle on the Masked Singer?
Week Four of the Masked Singer, which aired on Jan. 23, 2019, saw five more performances that ended in Poodle’s elimination.
Voted out after their performance of “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper, the Poodle Masked Singer was Grammy and Emmy Award-nominated actor and stand-up comedian Margaret Cho.
Cho’s rise to stardom came with her starring role in the ABC sitcom All-American Girl from 1994-1995. She established her stand-up comedy career in the following years.
8. Who is Unicorn on the Masked Singer?
The Unicorn Masked Singer was Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Tori Spelling, who was eliminated in Week Five.
Her elimination after singing “I Love It” by Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX came as a surprise, as she won her battle against the Monster Masked Singer in Week One when she sang “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten. In Week Three, she was also declared safe after singing “Oops! … I Did It Again” by Britney Spears.
Related: Britney Spears Biography: Facts About the Most Famous Pop Star in the World
Of the multiple awards Spelling has been nominated for, she has won twice. She won a Young Artist Award for the Best Young Actress Guest Starring in a Television Series in 1991 for her role as Violet Bickerstaff in Saved by the Bell, and a Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Supporting Actress in 2001 for her part in Scary Movie 2.
7. Who is Raven on the Masked Singer?
Talk show host and actress Ricki Lake was the Raven Masked Singer.
His performances included “Rainbow” by Kesha in Week Two, for which he won his battle against Pineapple, “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga in Week Four, and “Brave” by Sara Bareilles in Week Six, for which he was eliminated.
Related: Lady Gaga Facts: Birthdate, Networth, and Much More
Lake is best known for her talk show in the 90s and her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film Hairspray. Like Brown, she too appeared on Dancing with the Stars, competing in season 13 with partner Derek Hough. The duo finished in third place.
6. Who is Alien on the Masked Singer?
Week Seven revealed La Toya Jackson as the Alien Masked Singer following her performance of “Ex’s & Oh’s” by Elle King.
Jackson, sister of legendary King of Pop Michael Jackson and a well-known singer in her own right, performed “Feel It Still” by Portugal, The Man, “Lovefool” by The Cardigans, and “Happy” by Pharrell Williams in previous weeks of the season.
Related: How Exactly Did Michael Jackson Die? The Death of a Superstar
5. Who is Lion on the Masked Singer?
Week Eight of the show came with a double unmasking, the first of which was the Lion Masked Singer, revealed to be actress Rumer Willis, the eldest daughter of Moonlighting actor Bruce Willis and Ghost actress Demi Moore.
Willis performed hits such as “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” by Fergie featuring Q-Tip and GoodRock in Week One, when she won her battle against Deer, “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone in Week Three, “California Dream” by Sia in Week Five, and “Diamond Heart” by Lady Gaga.
She was eliminated and subsequently unmasked after her performance of “Don’t You Worry’ Bout a Thing” by Stevie Wonder.
4. Who is Rabbit on the Masked Singer?
Joey Fatone of the boyband NSYNC was the Rabbit Masked Singer, and the second elimination and unmasking in week Eight of the first season.
Throughout his run on the show, Fatone sang “Livin’ la Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin, “Wake Me Up” by Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc, “Poison” by Bell Biv DeVoe, “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder, and “My Girl” by The Temptations.
Related: How Did Avicci Die? The Tragic Story of One of the Greatest DJs of Our Time
3. Who is Bee on the Masked Singer?
“Empress of Soul” Gladys Knight was the Bee Masked Singer who came in third place on the finale episode, which aired on Feb. 27, 2019.
Her legendary voice belted out songs such as “Chandelier” by Sia, “Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars, “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus, “What’s Love Got to Do with It” by Tina Turner, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin, and “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt throughout the season’s run.
Knight has been nominated for 22 Grammy Awards, walking away with the title seven times.
Related: Miley Cyrus’ Biography, Net Worth, and More
2. Who is Peacock on the Masked Singer?
Singer and former teen idol Donny Osmond was the runner-up of the season under the guise of the Peacock Masked Singer.
He sang hits such as “The Greatest Show” by Hugh Jackman, “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic, “All of Me” by John Legend, “Can’t Feel My Face” by the Weeknd, “Let’s Go” by Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo, and “Shake Tail Feather” by Ray Charles.
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Osmond first became known as the youngest of the Osmond Brothers and further gained recognition with his later solo career and duo act variety show with his sister Marie, Donny and Marie.
1. Who is Monster on the Masked Singer?
And the winner is… Monster, better known as Grammy-award-winning rapper T-Pain.
Although he ultimately would be declared safe in every performance after, Monster Masked Singer T-Pain was at risk of being revealed in the first episode of the show after his performance of “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.
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His more successful follow-up performances of “I Don’t Want to Be” by Gavin Degraw, “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith, and his finale song, “This is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan proved his true vocal strengths.
Throughout his run on the show, the judges were never able to successfully guess his true identity. Final guesses included the likes of Darius Rucker, Jamie Foxx, Tyrese Gibson, CeeLo Green, and Michael Vick.
However, Nick Cannon correctly guessed, writing his prediction down on a piece of paper before the rapper was revealed.
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