FOX Sloth in the “Semi Finals - It’s All About The Dance” episode of THE MASKED DANCER.
The Masked Dancer was down to its final 4 contestants heading into episode 7. With only 3 spots in the season 1 finals, the remaining characters’ semifinal performances determined who would advance to the finale and who would be eliminated. At the end of the night, 4 became 3 and another secret celebrity competitor was unmasked.
Read on to find out what happened during the season 1 semifinals of The Masked Dancer, and who was revealed.
BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW. Scroll to the end of the article to find out who was unmasked.
‘The Masked Dancer’ Season 1 Episode 7 Recap
The 4 contestants competing in the semifinals of The Masked Dancer season 1 were Cotton Candy, Sloth, Tulip, and Zebra. Heading into episode 7, panelist Paula Abdul was leading the judges with the most correct guesses of the season so far.
After introducing Will Arnett as the night’s guest panelist, it was time for the performances to begin.
Cotton Candy was the first to take the stage. In her video clue package, she said she started working in her professional industry when she was 6, suggesting she was a child star. She also revealed that her career has come at the expense of her love life. Since the Cotton Candy said she travels a lot, the panelists wondered if she might be a touring celebrity.
Cotton Candy danced a peppy routine to a “Get Ready” and “Hey Mickey” cheer-inspired mash-up. After Cotton Candy hinted that Arnett guessed her as a Masked Singer panelist, Arnett guessed she might be Tara Lipinski. Ashley Tisdale guessed that she thinks Cotton Candy is Simone Biles, who has been a “cover girl” (Cotton Candy’s Word Up clue); Abdul guessed Gabby Douglas.
Before he danced the samba to “Dancing With a Stranger” by Sam Smith, the Sloth gave a number of clues about his identity. He said he is “slightly overweight,” and that he was a “bad boy” and a “lady’s man” when he was younger. He said the love of his life taught him that “love is magic;” a stethoscope was highlighted as a major visual clue, and the judges wondered if the celebrity behind the mask has played a doctor on TV.
Sloth’s panelist Valentine was Brian Austin Green and said he has worked with one of Green’s co-stars. The judges guessed Sloth could be Grey’s Anatomy‘s Patrick Dempsey, or Dancing With the Stars‘ brothers Maks or Val Chmerkovskiy.
The Zebra‘s clue package featured boxes on his hands, which the panelists thought indicated he might be a professional boxer. He opened up about losing someone important to him when he was younger, and said he now aims to spread awareness and “be a part of the cure” to stop the disease that ended that person’s life. 510 was highlighted as a number that is significant to the Zebra’s identity.
After Zebra danced to “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin, he presented his Valentine to Paula Abdul, who he said gave her a shoutout online (and took a picture with him). His Word Up clue was “box office.” The panelists guessed Zebra could be Mike Tyson, The Miz, or Oscar De La Hoya.
The Tulip was last to perform, and she said she’s used to being “the youngest person left in the competition.” Her clue package seemed to reference the hype house, which made Tisdale wonder if the star rose to fame on TikTok. Though the panelists and audience were laughing at Tulip’s Polka performance, the routine proved that she is a well-trained and skillful dancer.
Tulip chose Tisdale as her Valentine, and said she’s “danced to High School Musical for over 10,000 hours.” Her Word Up clue was “butterflies.” The panelists guessed it could be Mackenzie Ziegler, Noah Cyrus, Dove Cameron, or Liza Koshy behind the mask.
At the end of the night, the votes determined that it was time for Zebra to leave the competition. Tulip, Sloth, and Cotton Candy advanced to the finals.
The Zebra Took Off His Mask, Revealing Himself As…
… professional boxer Oscar De La Hoya!
For their final predictions, Ken Jeong guessed The Miz, Ashley Tisdale guessed Conor McGregor, Paula Abdul guessed Floyd Mayweather, and Brian Austin Green and Will Arnett guessed Oscar De La Hoya. Green and Arnett were both correct!
Of his time competing on The Masked Dancer, De La Hoya told Craig Robinson, “It was probably the best experience I’ve ever had.” He also remarked “I think being the Zebra is a lot tougher” than being in the boxing ring.
New episodes of The Masked Dancer air on Wednesday nights at 8/7c on FOX.
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