FOX THE MASKED DANCER: Hammerhead.
The Masked Dancer, FOX‘s new spinoff from their hit celebrity competition series The Masked Singer, premiered on Sunday, December 27. The episode featured the first performances of season 1, danced by the Group A contestants. At the end of the night, one contestant was eliminated and unmasked.
So, what happened during the premiere episode of The Masked Dancer season 1, and who was revealed in the end? Read on to find out!
BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW. Scroll to the end of the article to find out who was unmasked.
‘The Masked Dancer’ Season 1 Premiere Recap
For the premiere episode of The Masked Dancer, the Group A contestants debuting with their on-stage performances were the Disco Ball, Tulip, Hammerhead, Cricket, and Exotic Bird.
After introducing host Craig Robinson, judges Paula Abdul, Ken Jeong, Ashley Tisdale, and Brian Austin Green, and the season 1 contestants, it was time for the show to begin.
First up was the Hammerhead, whose dance to “Backstreet’s Back” by the Backstreet Boys was full of references to summer, swimming, and days spent by the pool. The panelists thought he could be Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Joe Jonas, or Zac Efron.
Tulip gave an impressed tap dance performance to “Fergalicious” by Fergie. The judges guessed she might be TikTok star Charlie D’Amelio, Ariana Grande, or Heather Morris.
Before Cricket took the stage, there were a number of references made to Las Vegas, gambling, and his current partner. Cricket danced to “Jump (For My Love)” by the Pointer Sisters, and the panelists thought he could be Ian Ziering (who starred in 90210 with Green) or Ashton Kutcher.
Disco Ball comported himself like an older celebrity, and did not appear to be a professional dancer. After he danced to “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars, the judges guessed it might be MC Hammer, LL Cool J, or Smokey Robinson behind the mask.
Last but not least, the Exotic Bird gave a skillful and entertaining performance to “Con Calma” by Daddy Yankee ft. Katy Perry. A number of celebrity names were thrown out as guesses by the panelists, including Marion Jones, Hope Solo, Fergie, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson, and Venus Williams.
At the end of the night, it was time for the judges and Super Fans to vote to determine who would be sent home and unmasked first. With the votes calculated, it was unfortunately time for the Disco Ball to be eliminated.
The Disco Ball Was Unmasked, Revealing Himself As…
… Grammy-winning artist, actor, and hiphop legend Ice-T!
Of his time competing on The Masked Dancer, Ice-T said it is “Absolutely the craziest thing I’ve ever done.” He said his daughter watched The Masked Singer, and he wanted to be a part of the experience after he saw Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes compete.
Before the Disco Ball took off his mask, the panelists made their final guesses. Here’s who they predicted:
– Brian Austin Green guessed LL Cool J.
– Ken Jeong guessed Smokey Robinson.
– Paula Abdul guessed Ving Rhames.
– Ashley Tisdale guessed Lionel Richie.
None of the judges guessed correctly! The gavel was meant to be a reference to SVU, and the salute was in honor of his time spent serving in the military.
New episodes of The Masked Dancer air on Wednesday nights at 8/7c on FOX.
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