‘The Masked Singer’ Kicks Off Season 8 With Huge Performances And Even Larger Unmaskings! (Recap)

“The Masked Singer” is again, with wilder costumes, bolder performances, larger stars and far more unmaskings than any season earlier than!

The hit Fox actuality competitors thriller collection kicked off its eighth season on Tuesday, helmed by host Nick Cannon and overseen by stalwart panelists Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger.

The present launched followers to the primary 4 performers of the season — together with Harp, Hedgehog, Knight and Hummingbird — in addition to the season’s surprising new format! As a substitute of 1 star getting revealed and the remainder transferring on, just one can be getting an opportunity to sing one other day, and the three others would all be taking it off after only one tune.

Harp was the primary singer to take the stage and delivered an appropriately flawless rendition of “Good” by Pink that left the judges and the viewers surprised.

“What a option to open up the present on season eight! With a legend, clearly,” McCarthy marveled after the jaw-dropping vocal show. “That was out of the park. See you on the finale!”

“You had been past highly effective. You command that stage,” Scherzinger added with emotion in her voice. “I used to be simply in awe. I can not wait to see who you might be.”

Up subsequent was Hedgehog, who offered a clue package deal stuffed with British references earlier than belting out a enjoyable cowl of The Beatles’ “Love Me Do,” whereas backed up by a full drum line and marching band for one of the vital bombastic numbers of the night.

Talking with the judges after the quantity, Hedgehog dropped an enormous trace at his id when he revealed he has gained each a Tony Award and a Grammy.

The colourfully costumed Hummingbird hit the stage subsequent, belting out a enjoyable and managed efficiency of Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Need To Be” whereas joined by a line of feathery pink backup dancers that elevated the enjoyable quantity.

“That was superior, man. You recognize, I feel it was a fantastic tune selection. Acquired all people overvalued. And also you had been hitting all of the notes,” Thicke praised. Nice job.”

The final singer of the night time, Knight, got here out in one of many strangest costumes in current reminiscence — showing as not only a Knight in shining armor, however one which can also be using a horse. It was clear from the outset that Knight was there to have enjoyable and embrace the strangeness of the present.

Launched by trumpeted fanfare, Knight put a brand new, idiosyncratic spin on Fred Astaire’s famed tune “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” and it was nearly instantly clear from his distinctive voice who was below the Knight costume.

And suspicions had been instantly confirmed when it got here time for the viewers to vote and Knight was the primary character to get the axe. After the panel made their ultimate guesses, Knight unmasked and revealed himself to be none apart from the legendary William Shatner!

The Emmy-winning star spoke with ET on Wednesday and mirrored on simply how troublesome performing inside the flowery costume actually was.

“A pal of mine mentioned it was one of many worst experiences he’d ever had in his life… and once I put that costume on I spotted it was true,” Shatner mentioned with fun. “You possibly can’t see out of it, you may’t breathe, you may’t really feel, you may’t transfer…  It was simply impenetrable.”

“However I suppose that’s the enjoyable of the present: Put these performers in costumes you may’t handle and watch them endure!” he added.

Shatner reiterated the feelings after unmasking, telling the panel of his expertise, “It was horrible! I can’t inform you how horrible it was. I couldn’t see something. I can’t stroll. The noise was deafening. The masks was obliterating. Oh, was that enjoyable!”

“Effectively, we had enjoyable,” McCarthy mentioned with fun.

The subsequent costumed contestant to get voted off was Hedgehog! Regardless of his enjoyable efficiency, it wasn’t sufficient to save lots of him from getting unmasked.

After the standard chants of “Take it off,” Hedgehog pulled off his spikey costume’s head and revealed himself to be the long-lasting comic and Monty Python star Eric Idle! After explaining that he personally wrote to Paul McCartney for permission to sing “Love Me Do,” he closed out his time on the present with a reside efficiency of his legendary tune from “The Lifetime of Brian”, “At all times Look on the Brilliant Facet of Life.”

The groundbreaking comedian spoke with ET on Wednesday, the place he recalled his time on the present, which he mentioned was “very zen” and

“The producers mentioned, ‘It’s a really foolish present,’ and I mentioned, ‘Effectively, I feel I’ve been on just a few foolish exhibits in my time,’” Idle joked. “So I assumed it was in my wheelhouse. It was one of many issues that appealed to me.”

Addressing the bizarre stage of anonymity on the present, Idle recalled, “Your total id is hidden! From the second I agreed to do the present, I used to be Hedgehog. Everyone simply referred to me as Hedgehog. ‘Oh, good morning, Hedgehog, hey Hedgehog, how are you Hedgehog?’ It by no means ceased to make me giggle.”

After the unmaskings, Harp was — as most would count on — topped the night time’s winner, leaving Hummingbird because the final contestant set to take away his masks. Nonetheless, the reveal was left as a cliffhanger, and followers will discover out his id when “The Masked Singer” returns subsequent Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.

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‘The Masked Singer’ Season 8 Reveals Two Costumes: See a First Look

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