FOX Cricket in the "Group A Playoffs - So You Think You Can Mask?" episode of THE MASKED DANCER.
The Masked Dancer has had a number of major celebrity reveals so far on the FOX‘s spinoff’s debut season.
At the end of each episode, one contestant is eliminated from the competition. Before they’re sent home, however, they must first take off their costume’s mask and unveil their true identity.
So far, here are the characters who have been eliminated, and the stars who have been unmasked:
BEWARE OF SPOILERS FOR EPISODES 1-4 OF THE MASKED DANCER BELOW.
The Cricket Was…
… American singer, songwriter, and actor Brian McKnight!
After he was unmasked, McKnight said he chose to do The Masked Dancer instead of its parent series The Masked Singer because his singing voice would be too recognizable to the audience and panelists, giving his “secret” identity away too quickly.
Of his time competing, McKnight told host Craig Robinson, “It was fun because nobody knew it was me except for Paula,” adding, “Being anonymous was great, because I don’t dance.” Paula Abdul was the only panelist to guess the Cricket’s celebrity identity correctly!
McKnight is known for his hit songs, including “One Last Cry” and “Back at One.”
Ms. Moth Was…
… Elizabeth Smart!
Panelist Brian Austin Green correctly guessed that Ms. Moth was in fact Smart, influenced by the “date line” clue in the Moth’s video package. Smart became a household name after she was abducted from her home by Brian David Mitchell when she was only 14 years old. She went on to become a child safety activist and is also a correspondent for ABC News.
Of her time as Ms. Moth, Smart said, “It was so much fun. I mean, such a different experience.” When asked why she chose to compete on The Masked Dancer, Moth told Robinson that her grandmother recently passed away and that her grandmother “would never let a moment pass her by;” she wanted to honor her grandmother and take the opportunity to “just have fun,” especially since she lives a rather serious life.
The Ice Cube Was…
… Bill Nye the Science Guy!
When asked about his experience dancing as the Ice Cube, Nye remarked, “It was cool… I love to dance. It may not have been obvious, but I do love to dance.” The Ice Cube character was no doubt a nod to climate change, something Nye has used his science platform to educate on.
Ken Jeong guessed that the Ice Cube was Nye, and was the only panelist to do so. After he was unmasked, Nye shared photos of his time on the Masked Dancer stage on Twitter, writing, “My #MaskedDancer experience was, in a word, “cool.” @kenjeong – you are in the right line of work.”
The Disco Ball Was…
… American rapper and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Ice-T!
The first celebrity to be unmasked on The Masked Dancer was Ice-T said it is “Absolutely the craziest thing I’ve ever done.” He said his daughter watched The Masked Singer, which made him interested in the celebrity talent competition. One he saw Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes compete on The Masked Singer, Ice-T said that solidified his interested in being a part of the show.
Before he made his exit at the end of the series premiere, Ice-T explained some of the clues in his video package, and how they pointed to his identity. He said that the gavel was meant to be a reference to SVU, and the salute gesture was in reference to 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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