SPOILER ALERT: Details follow for Season 14, Episode 6 of “The Masked Singer,” “Twilight Night,” which aired Feb. 11 on Fox.
This week’s “The Masked Singer” reveal may have left Billy Ray Cyrus with an achy breaky heart. The country singer, who also hit No. 1 with Lil Nas X on “Old Town Road,” was the latest celebrity to be unmasked on Season 14 of the Fox singing reality competition.
Among the panelists, no one got it right. Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg named Ted Danson. Ken Jeong weirdly thought it was Danson as well, Rita Ora guessed Kurt Russell, and Robin Thicke went with Dennis Quaid.
In his first appearance, Cyrus referenced his 1992 claim to fame: “When I took flight, you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing my name. Folks even started following my look. Imagine that. But then there were also the comments. My biggest fear became people laughing at me, and not with me. Terrifying, right? But I didn’t listen. Instead, I focused on me. On family. Eventually, life gave me the chance to do something so big, those haters were all eating their words. So, if folks are poking fun behind your back, just give them the bird and do your thing.”
In another clue package on the show, Cyrus — as Owl — alluded to his early career goals and his switch to singing: “I love America’s favorite pastime as much as anyone. But I’m no pro. Back in the day, I was a scrappy, right-handed slugger. Then one day, my heart was telling me something. This was not my path. So I turned in my glove. I knew there were other fields for me to play in. And guess what? I soared to success. Now that’s a lesson I try to teach my kids. Follow your heart and no matter the field, you’ll always hit a grand slam.”
Christina Perri opened the show by singing “A Thousand Year,” her song from the “Twilight” saga. The episode featured scenes re-created from the film franchise, while simultaneously celebrating Valentine’s Day.
On this week’s episode, the bottom two were Owl and Stingray. They battled by both performing their own versions of “Love Is a Battlefield,” by Pat Benatar. Stingray was saved, leaving Owl to be unmasked as Cyrus.
With Owl gone, that leaves High Voltage, Pangolin, Eggplant, Galaxy Girl, Stingray, Cat Witch, Pugcasso, Snow Cone and Crane in the competition.
Billy Ray Cyrus (Owl) joins Teddi Mellencamp (Calla Lily), Claudia Oshry (Queen Corgi), Taraji P. Henson (Scarab), Tone Loc (Handyman), Tiffany Haddish (Le Who Who), Todd and Julie Chrisley (Croissants) and David “Big Papi” Ortiz (Googly Eyes) as the celebrities unmasked so far on “The Masked Singer” Season 14.
Back for Season 14 are host Nick Cannon, alongside panelists McCarthy Wahlberg, Jeong, Ora and Thicke.
New this season is “America’s Insider,” 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 as Cat Witch, but will only unmask for viewers — so the audience knows who she is, but the panelists don’t.
“The Masked Singer” Season 14 themed episodes include a tribute to “Star Trek,” the ‘90s comedy “Clueless,” the comic franchise “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and the blockbuster “Twilight Saga” films. Also Fox’s new “Fear Factor” reboot will feature host Johnny Knoxville in a “Fear Factor: House of Fear Night,” and an “Ozzfest Night” honors late rocker Ozzy Osbourne, including a special tribute by “Masked Singer” alum Kelly Osbourne (Season 2’s Ladybug) saluting her father’s musical influence.
The 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.
Per 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.
Here were the performances on Wednesday’s episode.
Cat Witch, “The Masked Singer”
Trae Patton
Cat Witch
Song: “It Will Rain,” by Bruno Mars
Previous songs: “Abracadabra,” by Lady Gaga; “Teenage Dream,” by Katy Perry
Valentine’s Clue: Chocolate turkey. “Over 30 million people watched me on one very special big day. And I was riding high.”
Panel guesses: Victoria Justice, Zendaya, Hailee Steinfeld
Previous panel guesses: Charli D’Amelio, Addison Rae, Lisa from Blackpink; Victoria Justice, Ashley Tisdale
Cat Witch voiceover: “OMG, I was dying to see if Bella would choose Edward or Jacob. I know what it’ like to be torn between two suitors. I had my eye on an Edward myself. A dreamer who was shiny and irresistible.But a Jacob appeared. He was pretty cool too, and he wanted me bad. I knew how rare the opportunity was. The proposal of a lifetime! But it didn’t feel right to me. So I walked away, Everyone was like, ‘girl, you’re crazy!’ And I started to believe them. A few months later, the phone rang. And it was the call I was waiting for. My Edward! And finally, everything felt right. I’m most proud of that moment, for trusting I’d find my soulmate. I said ‘I do,’ and the rest is sweet.”
14 Karat Carrot, “The Masked Singer”
Trae Patton
14 Karat Carrot
Song: “Tainted Love,” by Gloria Jones
Previous song: “Hold On, I’m Comin,” by Sam and Dave
Valentine’s Clue: Gold star on the Walk of Fame. “They told me to shoot for the stars and I landed on one in Hollywood.”
Panel guesses: Lionel Richie, Jermaine Jackson, Ron Isley
Previous panel guesses: Al Green, Otis Williams of the Temptations, Morgan Freeman, Verdine White
14 Karat Carrot voiceover: “Edward and Bella had an epic love story. And that brings us to mine. I met my wife when we were 18. I saw her across campus, and my God, she was divine. But our first interaction was fiery. We did not see eye-to-eye. Finally, I realized the way to this woman’s heart was serenading her. And when she heard my buttery voice, that did the trick. We’ve been together ever since. Let’s say, we’ve kept the fire alive, if you know what I mean.”
Stingray, “The Masked Singer”
Trae Patton
Stingray
Song: “Bad Habits,” by Ed Sheeran
Previous songs: “Stayin’ Alive,” by Bee Gees; “Momma Song,” by Benson Boone
Valentine’s Clue: Empty ring box. Phone ring from his valentine. “We support each other.”
Panel guesses: Jordan Fisher, Joey McIntyre, Jason Derulo
Previous panel guesses: Lenny Kravitz, Jaden Smith, Lil Romeo, Jaden Smith, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Donald Glover
Stingray voiceover: “Wolves? Vampires? And love? What a combination. And I get it. After years of running around, the girl of my dreams came into my life. I knew she was the one. So I bought the ring, hid it in my pocket and I practiced the proposal over and over. But when the time came, a tarantula the size of her head stares right at me. I screamed, ‘Look!’ I got down on one knee. And she said yes. We laugh about it now.”
Owl, “The Masked Singer”
Owl
Song: “White Wedding,” by Billy Idol
Previous songs: “Wild Thing,” by the Troggs; “Ain’t No Sunshine,” by Bill Withers
Valentine’s Clue: Phone call from a British valentine. “It’s great being with y’all.”
Panel guesses: Walton Goggins, Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson
Previous panel guesses: Matthew McConaughey, Billy Bob Thornton, Kurt Russell, Jeff Daniels
Owl voiceover: “’Twilight’ was packed with chemistry. I know a thing or two about that. I was at my lowest point, getting dragged through the mud publicly. Suddenly, I get a text from a number I don’t recognize. It says, ‘the vultures are circling. And I’m in your corner.’ The thing is, I didn’t know who sent it. It turned out to be from someone I least expected. This girl was just as beautiful as her words. We went out for a date, and the chemistry was real. We’ve been together ever since. Ironically, we love bird watching together. Well tonight, baby, you get to watch your bird and know that I only have eyes for you.”
Past “The Masked Singer” 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).
“The Masked Singer” 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.