{"id":399113,"date":"2026-01-08T05:51:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T05:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/399113\/"},"modified":"2026-01-08T05:51:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T05:51:11","slug":"the-masked-singer-season-14-premiere-recap-googly-eyes-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/399113\/","title":{"rendered":"The Masked Singer Season 14 Premiere Recap: Googly Eyes Revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tSPOILER ALERT: Details follow for Season 14, Episode 1 of \u201cThe Masked Singer<\/a>,\u201d \u201cPremiere,\u201d which aired Jan. 7 on Fox.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d returned on Wednesday with a big swing: Big Papi<\/a>, aka Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz<\/a>, was the first to be eliminated as Season 14 of the hit Fox celebrity singing competition got underway.<\/p>\n

\n\tDisguised in the \u201cGoogly Eyes,\u201d costume, Ortiz performed \u201cTurn Down for What,\u201d by DJ Snake and Lil Jon. Panelist Ken Jeong guessed it right with Ortiz. Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg went with Derek Jeter. Robin Thicke thought it was Pedro Martinez. Rita Ora named Manny Ramirez.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs for the identity of the second elimination \u2014 a duo under two Croissant costumes \u2014 Thicke said he believed it was Snooki and the Situation from \u201cJersey Shore,\u201d while Jeong guessed Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. McCarthy-Wahlberg named Todd and Julie Chrisley. Ora went with Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag. The Croissant will be revealed at the start of next week\u2019s episode.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe two-hour premiere \u2014 which repped the first episode since May 2025, as \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d took the fall off \u2014 opened with Ora singing \u201cGolden,\u201d from \u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d (which features the voice of her fellow panelist Jeong). Later, Jeong and Thicke also joined in the vocals.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn a series of head-to-head competitions, Galaxy Girl faced off with Handyman; Pugcasso with Queen Corgi, Scarab with Croissants, Snow Cone with Stingray and Googly Eyes with Cat Witch. Winning those faceoffs: Galaxy Girl, Pugcasso, Scarab, Stingray and Cat Witch.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat meant Handyman, Queen Corgi, Croissants, Snow Cone and Googly Eyes were the bottom five. After one more vote, the bottom two were poised for elimination: Googly Eyes and Croissant.<\/p>\n

\n\tDavid \u201cBig Papi\u201d Ortiz as Googly Eyes is the first celebrity unmasked on \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d Season 14.<\/p>\n

\n\tBack for Season 14 are host Nick Cannon, alongside panelists McCarthy Wahlberg, Jeong, Ora and Thicke.<\/p>\n

\n\tNew this season is \u201cAmerica\u2019s Insider,\u201d in which singer, dancer and social media personality Kylie Cantrall will share behind-the-scenes hints and clues for viewers. The twist: Cantrall is in costume, but will unmask for viewers \u2014 so the audience knows who she is, but the panelists don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d Season 14 themed episodes include a tribute to \u201cStar Trek,\u201d the \u201890s comedy \u201cClueless,\u201d the comic franchise \u201cTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles\u201d and the blockbuster \u201cTwilight Saga\u201d films. Also Fox\u2019s new \u201cFear Factor\u201d reboot will feature host Johnny Knoxville in a \u201cFear Factor: House of Fear Night,\u201d and an \u201cOzzfest Night\u201d honors late rocker Ozzy Osbourne, including a special tribute by \u201cMasked Singer\u201d alum Kelly Osbourne (Season 2\u2019s Ladybug) saluting her father\u2019s musical influence.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe 18 Masked contestants in Season 14 include Eggplant, Pugcasso, Queen Corgi, the Croissants, Owl, 14 Karat Carrot, Snow Cone, Galaxy Girl, High Voltage, Googly Eyes, Scarab, Handyman, Crane, Le Who Who, Pangolin, Stingray, Cat Witch and Calla Lily.<\/p>\n

\n\tPer the show, the Season 14 contestants have sold a combined 94 million records, received 47 Teen Choice Award nominations, 12 Emmy nominations, two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one Tony Award win and one Academy Award nomination.<\/p>\n

\n\tHere were the performances on Wednesday\u2019s two-hour premiere episode.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tGalaxy Girl, \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d (Trae Patton \/ Fox)<\/p>\n

\t\tGalaxy Girl\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSong: \u201cSuper Graphic Ultra Modern Girl,\u201d by Chappell Roan<\/p>\n

\n\tPanel guesses: Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Emma Stone<\/p>\n

\n\tGalaxy Girl voiceover: \u201cStar light, star bright. Heard you\u2019re looking for stars tonight. Well, this girl\u2019s the whole galaxy. From a young age I was on top of the world. Accepted in the best schools on scholarship. The youngest on stage, even before I could drive. But y\u2019all, I\u2019m human. And perfection was never my thing. So, I walked away. For years, I was lost in the background. But I knew there was something bigger in the world for me. So I worked my butt off. And boom, my rise was meteoric. Now I\u2019m feeling another gravitational pull. Toward this stage. I\u2019ll admit, I\u2019ve been curious about doing \u2018The Masked Singer\u2019 for a while. And I\u2019m ready for takeoff. But I don\u2019t plan to take off this mask until I secure that trophy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tHandyman, \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d (Trae Patton \/ Fox)<\/p>\n

\t\tHandyman\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSong: \u201cShake Your Groove Thing,\u201d by Peaches & Herb<\/p>\n

\n\tPanel guesses: Idris Elba, Tone Loc, Vin Diesel<\/p>\n

\n\tHandyman voiceover: \u201cI\u2019m your host, Handyman. And today I\u2019m going to teach you how to flip your life upside down. I grew up on the west coast. And as a kid, I was scrappy. I was a tough guy. And I rode around with an interesting crew. It was fun. You want to see my wild guy face? I was never looking for trouble. So I used my image to shift gears. Suddenly, the crowd I was rolling with included everyone from DeNiro to Courtney Cox. Turns out, I could still be scrappy. But use that attitude for something good. My street cred has never been higher.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tNick Cannon and Pugasso, \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d (Trae Patton \/ Fox)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTrae Patton<\/p>\n

\t\tPugcasso\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSong: \u201cOrdinary,\u201d by Alex Warren<\/p>\n

\n\tPanel guesses: Dan Reynolds, Darren Criss, Ryan Tedder<\/p>\n

\n\tPugcasso voiceover: \u201cWell hello there my furry friends. I\u2019m Pugcasso. And welcome to the Joy of Panting. Today, we\u2019re going to paint a happy little career change. See, I was supposed to take over the family business. But sometimes you\u2019ve got to color outside the lines. Like the time I threw my name in the hat on something big. My life changed overnight. I joined an ensemble of dreamers just like me, and before you knew it I went from nobody to top dog. Something only a handful of artists have achieved. Just like that, we painted success. But as for me, I\u2019m still that ordinary pup living in an extraordinary world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tQueen Corgi, \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d (Trae Patton \/ Fox)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTrae Patton<\/p>\n

\t\tQueen Corgi\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSong: \u201cDon\u2019t Rain on My Parade,\u201d by Barbra Streisand<\/p>\n

\n\tPanel guesses: Nikki Blonsky, Maya Rudolph, Aidy Bryant<\/p>\n

\n\tQueen Corgi voiceover: \u201cOK lemme tell you something. College was not for me. So I\u2019m hanging out at my dorm, just being myself. You know, doing what I love. And people started paying attention. A few at first. And then, like an actual audience. And it hit me, hey, maybe I can make a living off this. But everyone thought I was crazy. Friends, family, professors, they all said no. But I didn\u2019t wait for permission, I didn\u2019t follow the rules. And now they literally call me a trailblazer. Like, what? So don\u2019t even think about raining on my parade. Because I\u2019m hoping to be best in show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tScarab, \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d (Trae Patton \/ Fox)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTrae Patton<\/p>\n

\t\tScarab\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSong: \u201cSet Fire to the Rain,\u201d by Adele<\/p>\n

\n\tPanel guesses: Whoopi Goldberg, Viola Davis, Sheryl Lee Ralph<\/p>\n

\n\tScarab voiceover: \u201c\u2019This golden goddess, perhaps the most decorated we\u2019ve ever seen, has risen as any star in the heavens.\u2019 Yeah, everyone knows my story. I have done it all. Met presidents, dined with Brad. Even Prince knew my name. Just look at my trophy shelf. That\u2019s a lot of gold, baby. I\u2019m proud of what I\u2019ve achieved. But I\u2019ve been at this a long time now. While most people would be thinking about retirement, I\u2019m looking for something new to inspire me. The Scarab is a symbol of rebirth. And this is the beginning of mine. Time to win a new kind of gold.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tCroissants, \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d (Trae Patton \/ Fox)<\/p>\n

\t\tCroissants\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSong: \u201cJailhouse Rock,\u201d by Elvis Presley<\/p>\n

\n\tPanel guesses: The Situation and Snooki, Todd and Julie Chrisley, Spencer and Heidi Pratt<\/p>\n

\n\tCroissants voiceover: \u201c\u2019They were upper crust socialites. Living at the top. And it all came crumbling down.\u2019 So it\u2019s true, life was good. And we were inseparable. Until we were torn apart. That\u2019s right. We were canceled, separated. And we didn\u2019t know when we\u2019d see each other again. It was the darkest moments of our lives. And just when I thought all hope was lost, a miracle. Out of nowhere, we\u2019re back. Back. And best of all, reunited. We feel everyone just had the wrong idea about us. So we\u2019re here to change it. And rise again. Together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tNick Cannon and Snow Cone, \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d (Trae Patton \/ Fox)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTrae Patton<\/p>\n

\t\tSnow Cone\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSong: \u201cWhen I Grow Up,\u201d by the Pussycat Dolls<\/p>\n

\n\tPanel guesses: Mischa Barton, Nicole Richie, Taylor Momsen<\/p>\n

\n\tSnow Cone voiceover: \u201cHello everyone. My name is Snow Cone. And I\u2019m here to clear the air. I\u2019ve been misunderstood. Look, from day one I knew I was destined for stardom. Sure, I was just modeling snow boots for a kids catalog. But I was the whole package. And then wham, I finally got my big break. I landed a role on one of TV\u2019s hottest shows. Until one moment spoiled everything. I was kicked to the curb. You should have seen what the headlines said about me. All lies. Hollywood completely iced me out. And ever since then, I\u2019ve been trying to shake that image. Tonight, the nerves are real. But this song feels personal to me. I\u2019m not what you think. And I\u2019m going to prove those people wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tNick Cannon and Stingray, \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d (Trae Patton \/ Fox)<\/p>\n

\t\tStingray\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSong: \u201cStayin\u2019 Alive,\u201d by Bee Gees<\/p>\n

\n\tPanel guesses: Lenny Kravitz, Jaden Smith, Lil Romeo<\/p>\n

\n\tStingray voiceover: \u201cYou know what? This Stingray is everywhere. From Michelin to Met Gala. I say yes to it all. And in my early days I might have been known to mix it up on Sunset Boulevard. I mean, who else parties on the roof of the Chateau Marmont? It all started when I was a kid and my mom hosted these amazing parties with legends like Michael, Luther, Stevie. Some of my earliest memories are sneaking out of bed to sit at the top of the stairs, desperate to catch a glimpse of the gold and the glamour. To this day, I don\u2019t like to miss out on a good time. That\u2019s why I\u2019m here. I\u2019ve had so many friends do this show and love it, so I wanted to see if the hype is real. Does that sound like a party?\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tGoogly Eyes, \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d (Trae Patton \/ Fox)<\/p>\n

\t\tGoogly Eyes\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSong: \u201cTurn Down for What,\u201d by DJ Snake and Lil Jon<\/p>\n

\n\tPanel guesses: David \u201cBig Papi\u201d Ortiz, Daddy Yankee, Wesley Snipes<\/p>\n

\n\tGoogly Eyes voiceover: \u201cHeard you are hiring a new \u2018Masked Singer\u2019 winner. The name is Googly Eyes. Here\u2019s my resume. Qualifications? I have tons. I am a massive star, a born leader who is known for getting businesses out of the red and into the black. And I am mostly housebroken. Need references? Bacon, Krasinski, Tucker, those guys have got my back. So I am perfect for the gig and will be clutch for making this season a smash. Reach out with any questions, and let\u2019s get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tCat Witch, \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d (Trae Patton \/ Fox)<\/p>\n

\t\tCat Witch\t<\/p>\n

\n\tSong: \u201cAbracadabra,\u201d by Lady Gaga<\/p>\n

\n\tPanel guesses: Charli D\u2019Amelio, Addison Rae, Lisa from Blackpink<\/p>\n

\n\tCat Witch voiceover: \u201cThe best things are worth the wait. And don\u2019t I know that\u2019s true. I\u2019m not used to being anonymous. But I\u2019m thrilled to toy with you. Ever since I was a kitten, I longed for the stage. So I brewed myself a future. A dash of time, a little sage, grandiose merch, tours, albums. All that and more came from my cauldrons. And I\u2019m living for it. This little kitten\u2019s got her claws in every single pot. Because to live nine lives, you\u2019ve got to grow and stretch a lot. I\u2019m ready to shed my image. A more mature side you should find. And what I\u2019m manifesting next, that gold mask is mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tPast \u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d winners include T-Pain as Monster (Season 1), Wayne Brady as Fox (Season 2), Kandi Burruss as Night Angel (Season 3), LeAnn Rimes as Sun (Season 4), Nick Lachey as Piglet (Season 5), Jewel as Queen of Hearts (Season 6), Teyana Taylor as Firefly (Season 7), Amber Riley as Harp (Season 8), Bishop Briggs as Medusa (Season 9), Ne-Yo as Cow (Season 10), Vanessa Hudgens as Goldfish (Season 11), Boyz II Men as Buffalos (Season 12) and Gretchen Wilson as Pearl (Season 13).<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe Masked Singer\u201d comes from Fox Alternative Entertainment. Rosie Seitchik, Craig Plestis and Cannon are executive producers, while Seitchik serves as showrunner. The series is based on the South Korean format created by Mun Hwa Broadcasting Corp.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SPOILER ALERT: Details follow for Season 14, Episode 1 of \u201cThe Masked Singer,\u201d \u201cPremiere,\u201d which aired Jan. 7…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":399114,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[64,63,212521,212522,134,194460,427],"class_list":{"0":"post-399113","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-big-papi","11":"tag-david-ortiz","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-the-masked-singer","14":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=399113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/399113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/399114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=399113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=399113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=399113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}