TV’s favorite guessing game returns tonight with the Season 7 premiere of “The Masked Singer.” Famous faces hidden inside outrageous costumes will sing for panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger in hopes of winning the Golden Mask trophy. Host Nick Cannon returns to emcee another cycle of wild and wacky fun. This season will feature three teams of five: The Good, The Bad and the Cuddly. Facing off in Round 1 is Cyclops (Team Bad), Firefly (Team Good), McTerrier (Team Good), Ram (Team Bad) and Thingamabob (Team Cuddly). Each of them took the stage on Wednesday night, with the lowest vote-getter being unmasked in front of America. Let the guessing game begin!
SEE Good, Bad and Cuddly costumes revealed for ‘The Masked Singer’ Season 7
Below, read our minute-by-minute “The Masked Singer” recap of Season 7, Episode 1, titled “Masks Back – The Good, The Bad & The Cuddly – Round 1,” to find out what happened Wednesday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite costumed characters on Fox’s reality TV show and who you think has what it takes to win the entire competition.
SEE Everything to know about ‘The Masked Singer’ Season 7
Keep refreshing/reloading this “The Masked Singer” live blog for the most recent updates.
8:00 p.m. — “Previously on ‘The Masked Singer’!” In the Season 6 finale, Queen of Hearts won the Golden Mask trophy and removed her mask to reveal multi-platinum singer Jewel. Bull (Todrick Hall) was the runner-up and Nicole was the winner of the judges’ Golden Ear trophy. But enough about last year — let’s get started with the first performance of Season 7!
8:05 p.m. — Nick introduces all 15 characters this season before announcing Team Cuddly will kick things off. Up first is Thingamabob, who struts out with a confident swagger. He’s tall, green, glittery and appears to have good rhythm. The panelists have an early inkling that this is an athlete. His “cluemercial” package reveals Thingamabob is in need of our help. We see a tree decoration of Hotel California as a narrator states, “Being taken from its natural habitat, it now has to fend for itself.” We’re not exactly sure what it is, but we know it’s precious and needs to be protected. Next, Bulldog AKA Nick is seen hunting the Thingamabob while holding a fishing net and a tackle box. Is this a friend of the host’s? Soon the two are seen hugging which proves, with a little effort we all can live in harmony together. Maybe he’s a formal rival of Nick’s who has befriended him? As a bald eagle flies overhead, we hear that for a couple quarters a day we can watch this creature adapt and flourish into the future. Money is dropping into a jar with a golden bell.
8:10 p.m. — Thingamabob is singing “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi and we can tell instantly that this man has serious chops. If this is an athlete he’s hiding some serious talent. I would guess this must be a professional singer. He works the stage like a rockstar too. What a way to kick things off! Thingamabob says, “Rock music was something that I grew up with and it transformed me. I want my voice to be the biggest clue.” Ken guesses lead singer of Metallica, James Hetfield. Jenny got wrestling vibes from the clue package and guesses WWE Hall of Famer Chris Jericho. Robin’s gut is telling him Thingamabob is an athlete who kills at karaoke and says it could be Terrell Owens.
8:15 p.m. — Next up is a singer from Team Good, McTerrier. This big, white fluffy dog is wearing a kilt. Bagpipes can be heard as he walks to the center of the stage. In his cluemercial, McTerrier says (with a Scottish accent) if we’re like him, always on the move and making a mess, we’ll love his terry towel. He’s shining an ax with a gold star on it, which makes me think he may have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We see a man face-planting into a cake and someone taking a catnap next to a gold record. McTerrier says his cloth will clean things right up to “the edge,” which may hint at a song of his?
8:20 p.m. — McTerrier starts out at a drum set before moving to centerstage as he belts out “Working for the Weekend” by Loverboy. He looks a little lost on stage and Ken mentions, “I don’t think he can see anything!” This dog has an okay voice, but he’s definitely not a serious singer. He even howls at the end in honor of his species. Following the performance, McTerrier gets too close to the edge of the stage and almost falls off. While trying to correct his balance, his head falls off! He goes into hiding and yells, “What do I do?” The panelists turn around while a stagehand comes and replaces McTerrier’s head. The little dog says he plays many instruments, so it’s safe to say he’s an artist. Robin isn’t buying his accent. Ken guesses this could be Mike Myers. Nicole goes with one of her favorite actors, Ewan McGregor. Robin wraps things up by guessing Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers.
8:25 p.m. — It’s time to hear from someone on Team Bad and they send out Cyclops. He’s a massive one-eyed monster that towers over Nick. His cluemercial should provide plenty of hints! Cyclops asks, “Are you tired of always being cast as the villain? Lumped in with the baddies?” etc. He’s hiding out in a child’s bedroom and we see some popcorn, which is an obvious clue we’ve got a movie star here. There’s also a compass pointing Southeast, which probably hints at where Cyclops is from. There’s a photo of a turtle in a cowboy hat and we also see Cyclops on the cover of a comic book that says, “Beware Cyclops” on top and “Evil Beastie” at the bottom.
8:30 p.m. — Cyclops is singing “My Sacrifice” by Creed. This is a very rock and roll show so far! He has a pretty good voice, but similar to McTerrier, he doesn’t sound like a professional singer. He also barely moves on the stage. Cyclops says, “Growing up I connected with monsters more than heroes. I was the kind of kid that was disappointed at the end of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ when he turned handsome.” Jenny immediately thinks this could be William Zabka from “Karate Kid” and “Cobra Kai.” Nicole is thinking it could be Danny McBride and Robin says Cyclops is Rob Dyrdek of “Ridiculousness.”
8:35 p.m. — The next singer of the evening is another member of Team Good, Firefly. This is a sexy insect who knows how to walk the stage! In her cluemercial, Firefly reveals it’s not always easy to keep her antennas glowing. There’s an Apollo Theater program with a photo of Firefly on it that reads “Live Comedy!” Before we see a portrait of Tyler Perry, Firefly says there’s nothing worse than running on empty with her “fuzzy” schedule. We also see a small Statue of Liberty on her stage with a microphone.
8:40 p.m. — Firefly is singing “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan and this is a real diva who can sing. After hearing just a few notes my guess is Monica, who has a very distinct tone. Suddenly, the Firefly begins to choke. Oh no! She is rushed off the stage to be seen by a medic and has yet to return. The show must continue, but you can take it from me, that was Monica.
8:45 p.m. — Team Bad sends out their next competitor, the Ram. He walks out with authority and looks quite intimidating. His cluemercial shows a sign for “Hamlet x Macbeth” so I’m guessing he may have been on a theater stage or two. We see a ref signal a touchdown and Ram introduces his “Ram-scaper” for shaving. It’s his secret for keeping his head in the game and his presentation “on point.” Papa Ram taught him everything he knows, including the art of Ramscaping. As the Ram cuts hair, we see a piggy bank that says “Quarter Return” and a horse. Maybe a quarterback from the Colts? Or someone from the LA Rams?
8:50 p.m. — Tonight Ram is singing “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick. He’s not a good singer, which makes things glaringly obvious that this must be a football player. He’s really not a terrible singer either, I’m not sure if he’s any worse than Cyclops or McTerrier. Ram says, “My entire life I’ve heard boos, I’ve heard cheers, but I’m used to telling stories under these lights. And I’ve worked my whole life to get where I am today.” Jenny thinks this is Jim Harbaugh. Ken says it’s Matthew Stafford. Robin throws in Peyton Manning. Ram tells them all, “You guys are dead freakin’ wrong.”
8:55 p.m. — Good news, everybody. The Firefly has returned to sing “Ain’t Nobody.” She delivers a striking performance that leaves the panelists in awe. As I said earlier, I can recognize that rich R&B tone anywhere and it’s definitely Monica. The panel all stands on top of their desk to applause. Robin calls it the best performance of the night and thinks she’ll be tough to beat this season. Firefly says she’s been performing all her life and it feels amazing each time she steps on stage. Ken guesses this is Alicia Keys. Jenny says it might be a comedian like Aisha Tyler, but she was also hearing Monica’s tone.
8:59 p.m. — It’s time to face the music. One of these first five singers will be unmasked. Will the Good, the Bad or the Cuddly lose a teammate? The first creature eliminated is McTerrier from Team Good. The others can head back to safety. McTerrier drops to the floor and cries, lol. “I thought I was great!” he screams. Before he’s unmasked, the panel gives their final guesses: Mike Myers (Ken), Flea (Robin), Ewan McGregor (Nicole) and Jeff Ross (Jenny). McTerrier pulls off his mask to reveal himself as celebrity pastry chef and television star Duff Goldman! That’s a wrap for tonight!
