Stop the presses! Ken Jeong was right about something on Wednesday night’s semi-finals episode of “The Masked Singer.” The comedian and consistently worst guesser on the reality TV show’s panel correctly guessed that former baseball star Barry Zito was hiding beneath the Rhino mask. Watch Rhino’s performance of “Humble and Kind” by Tim McGraw above.
Throughout the season, Ken had also been adamant that whoever the Rhino was must have been on the former CBS drama, “Jag.” So was it true? “Ken, you went out on a limb,” Zito teased in his unmasked interview before revealing the answer. “I don’t know how you pulled it off, but you were dead on. I played a pitcher for the Navy in ‘Jag.’ When Ken started talking about Episode 9, Season 9, I said somebody needs to see their therapist. They have too much of an obsession.”
SEE Are ‘The Masked Singer’ celebrity contestants lip-syncing or singing live?
Ken wasn’t the only panelist to guess the three-time all-star was inside the Rhino costume. Jenny McCarthy called it a week ago and stuck to her guns with Zito as her final guess. Robin Thicke was off the mark guessing Trace Adkins, Nicole Scherzinger thought it was country crooner Jason Aldean and guest panelist Jay Pharoah went with the only tall country singer he could think of, Blake Shelton.
“We had a baby three days ago,” Zito confessed when host Nick Cannon asked him about the monumental moment he referenced in his clue package. “It’s our third boy and we are so happy about it.” But what about being the Rhino did the former pitcher love the most? “I just had such a great time,” he said. “This stretched me in so many ways. Thank you so much.”
SEE Here’s why ‘The Masked Singer’ will carry on despite coronavirus pandemic
Throughout his run on “The Masked Singer,” many clues were shared to hint at the Rhino’s true identity. The #9 in his clue package was a hint to Zito being the 9th overall pick in the 1999 MLB draft. The planet Mars was a clue to his nickname “Planet Zito” and his son’s name, Mars. The “South” sign in Rhino’s package was a clue to Zito being a left-handed pitcher.
Zito played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants. He won the Cy Young Award in 2002 and was a three-time all-star in 2002, 2003 and 2006. In 2012 Zito achieved his World Series championship after over a decade in the league.
Three singers remain to battle it out in “The Masked Singer” finale on Wednesday, May 20. Will the Frog, the Night Angel or the Turtle win the highly coveted golden mask trophy?
SEE exclusive predictions: Who will win ‘The Masked Singer’?
Be sure to make your predictions to influence our reality TV racetrack odds. You can keep changing your predictions until just before the next episode airs on Fox. You’ll compete to win a spot on our Season 3 leaderboard and eternal bragging rights. See our contest rules and sound off with other fans in our reality TV forum. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
