“The Masked Singer” finale concluded on Wednesday night with Queen of Hearts being crowned the Season 6 champ and claiming the Golden Mask over Bull (Todrick Hall). Her showstopping performances of “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye and “Firework” by Katy Perry landed her in the winner’s circle where she pulled off her mask to reveal Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum superstar Jewel.
“It is just an honor,” Jewel confessed during her unmasked interview with host Nick Cannon. “It really is an honor to be in the hall of costumes and with the other amazing winners. Everybody was so talented on this show. It’s the privilege of a lifetime to get to be yourself. This show, oddly, really gets at your essence and I find that really special. It really reminded me of before I was famous, singing in a coffee shop. To be able to have people just react to your voice, not knowing anything else, was really touching. I’m not a cool person. I never have been, but I have a lot of heart. And that’s why I wanted to be the heart.”
SEE ‘The Masked Singer’ reveals for all seasons: Celebrities and costumes through the years
The other big winner of the night was panelist Nicole Scherzinger who won her first Golden Ear trophy. After naming Todrick with her first impression guess she finished the season with three points, defeating Ken Jeong (2 points), Robin Thicke (1 point) and two-time defending Golden Ear champ Jenny McCarthy (1 point). While none of the panelists knew Queen of Hearts was Jewel with their first impression guesses, Nicole, Robin and Jenny all figured it out before she unmasked. Ken stubbornly refused to give up on his first impression guess of Renee Zellweger.
Plenty of hints were shown in Queen of Hearts’ clue packages each week to help the panelists figure out Jewel was behind the mask. The lifesaver in Queen of Hearts’ package was a clue to Jewel’s hit song “Who Will Save Your Soul.” The “Home” clue revealed on stage is a reference to Jewel’s childhood hometown of Homer, Alaska. The briefcase in Queen of Hearts’ package was a clue to Jewel’s son named Kase. The devil in her package was a nod to Jewel’s starring role in the film “Ride With the Devil.” The multiple jokers in her packages were a nod to Jewel’s hit single “Foolish Games.”
Queen of Hearts was the 16th celebrity unmasked in Season 6. Jewel’s exit was preceded by Dwight Howard as Octopus, Vivica A. Fox as Mother Nature, Toni Braxton as Pufferfish, Tyga as Dalmation, Larry the Cable Guy as Baby, Ruth Pointer as Cupcake, Rob Schneider as Hamster, Honey Boo Boo & Mama June as Beach Ball, Johnny Rotten as Jester, Natasha Bedingfield as Pepper, Willie Robertson as Mallard, Bobby Berk as Caterpillar, Faith Evans as Skunk, David Foster and Katherine McPhee as Banana Split and Todrick Hall as Bull. Jewel (Queen of Hearts) now joins former winners T-Pain (Monster), Wayne Brady (Fox), Kandi Burruss (Night Angel), LeAnn Rimes (Sun) and Nick Lachey (Piglet) in “The Masked Singer” Hall of Fame.
