The Masked Singer left fans buzzing with excitement after an intriguing double reveal on its January 20th episode. As beloved characters Handyman and Scarab bid farewell, the world wondered who was behind those elaborate costumes.
Handyman, the first to go, hinted in his clue video, "I've been known to stand out." He explained that a "painful accident" had "changed my voice overnight," but he didn't let that hold him back. His voice captured people's attention, and he could be heard everywhere – on the radio, in movies, and even in kids' shows.
The judges zeroed in on a bear wearing an "I Love the 90s" shirt and a microphone made of ice. Once they saw the candy wrappers on stage, they knew the celebrity had to be a rapper. Jenny McCarthy was the first to guess Chuck D from Public Enemy, while Ken Jeong noted Handyman's Ace of Spades clue from the previous episode, leading him to guess Mr. T. Rita Ora wondered if it could be Ice-T under the mask. But Robin Thicke was the only one who got it right, identifying the "Funky Cold Media" rapper Tone Loc.
Host Nick Cannon mentioned Tone's other big hit, exclaiming, "It's officially a 'Wild Thing' over here!" The Grammy-nominated rapper was delighted to have taken part in the competition – especially because he could now tell his children that he actually did it.
But the '90s rapper wasn't the only star to bid farewell. The Scarab was also unmasked. During her clue segment, she revealed that her dad knew she was going to make it in Hollywood as the camera panned on a small rocket ship. "He told me I was going to be a huge star," Scarab said, "and that I'd be nominated for an Oscar." Unfortunately, he passed away a week before the Oscar ceremony, making the evening difficult for the actress.
"It was hard to smile in those photos that night, but mom and I made the most of it," she shared. "He would have loved it." Scarab then sang an emotional rendition of Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." Her last clue? A roll of cookie dough, as she told the judges there was "a lot of baking under pressure to get where I am."
While the judges were shocked she was one of the two headed home, they had several guesses as to who she was. Robin switched his pick from Sheryl Lee Ralph to Regina King, while Jenny stuck with her initial choice of Angela Bassett. Ken noted the green and pink in her costume, closing his case with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo. But Rita was the one to guess correctly that it was Empire actress Taraji P. Henson, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2009 for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
"Finally she's here," Nick laughed once she was unmasked. "The most decorated celebrity we've ever had on this show. For 14 seasons we've been waiting for you to come and bless us."
"I finally made it," Taraji said, before turning to the audience and asking, "Who voted me off, though?" Despite having to say goodbye, the Hidden Figures actress found that she quite enjoyed having her identity hidden.
"I had a lot of confidence," she shared. "There are a lot of things you can do hiding behind a mask – because no one can see you so you can get down." She ended the show with a rendition of Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain," leaving fans eagerly anticipating the next episode of The Masked Singer, which airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on Fox.
