The Masked Singer (American TV series) season 7

The Masked Singer: The Good, The Bad, and The Cuddly
Season 7
Promotional poster for season seven, featuring "Prince", "Ram", and "Space Bunny"
Starring
Hosted byNick Cannon
No. of contestants15
WinnerTeyana Taylor as "Firefly"
Runner-upHayley Orrantia as "Ringmaster"
No. of episodes12
Release
Original networkFox
Original releaseMarch 9 (2022-03-09) –
May 18, 2022 (2022-05-18)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 6
Next →
Season 8
List of episodes

The seventh season of the American television series The Masked Singer (also known as The Masked Singer: The Good, The Bad, and The Cuddly[1]) premiered on Fox on March 9, 2022,[2] following a sneak peek episode that aired on February 20,[3] and concluded on May 18, 2022. The season was won by singer/songwriter Teyana Taylor as "Firefly", with actor/singer Hayley Orrantia finishing second as "Ringmaster", and actor/singer Cheyenne Jackson placing third as "Prince".

Panelists and host

Season 7 panelists and host
Robin Thicke
Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg
Ken Jeong
Nicole Scherzinger
Nick Cannon

Nick Cannon, singer-songwriter Robin Thicke, television and radio personality Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, actor and comedian Ken Jeong, and recording artist Nicole Scherzinger all returned as host and panelists.[2]

Guest panelists in the season included Eric Stonestreet in the second episode, Nicole Byer in the fifth episode, and Leslie Jordan in the sixth episode.[4]

Unlike the previous three seasons, there were no first impression guesses made by the panelists, and the Golden Ear Trophy was not awarded for the first time since its introduction in the fourth season.[5]

Contestants

The season features 15 contestants split into three teams known as "The Good", "The Bad", and "The Cuddly".[1] This is the first season since the fourth season not to feature wild card contestants, but also being the first to feature teams.[6]

"Hydra" is the first three-headed costume in the series while also sporting three legs due to its portrayers as well as featuring smoke-breathing features and a large size.[7][8] "Cyclops" is the largest costume to date.[9]

Results
Stage name Celebrity Occupation(s) Episodes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3
G Firefly Teyana Taylor Singer/songwriter SAFE RISK WIN WINNER
G Ringmaster Hayley Orrantia Actor/singer SAFE SAFE WIN RUNNER-UP
G Prince Cheyenne Jackson Actor/singer SAFE SAFE WIN THIRD
B Queen Cobras En Vogue R&B group SAFE SAFE OUT
C Space Bunny Shaggy Singer SAFE RISK OUT
C Baby Mammoth Kirstie Alley Actor SAFE OUT
B Jack in the Box Rudy Giuliani Politician OUT
C Miss Teddy Jennifer Holliday Singer/actor SAFE SAFE OUT
G Armadillo Duane Chapman TV personality SAFE RISK OUT
B Hydra[a] Penn & Teller Magicians/comedians SAFE OUT
C Lemur Christie Brinkley Model/actor OUT
C Thingamabob Jordan Mailata NFL player SAFE SAFE OUT
B Cyclops Jorge Garcia Actor SAFE SAFE OUT
B Ram Joe Buck Sportscaster SAFE OUT
G McTerrier Duff Goldman Pastry chef OUT
  •  G  The masked singer is on Team Good.
  •  B  The masked singer is on Team Bad.
  •  C  The masked singer is on Team Cuddly.
  •  WIN  The masked singer won their respective round and moved on to the finale.
  •  SAFE  The masked singer was safe from elimination.
  •  RISK  The masked singer was in the bottom two, but was not eliminated.
  •  OUT  The masked singer was eliminated from the competition and unmasked.
  •   The masked singer did not perform.
The celebrities who competed in the seventh season of The Masked Singer, pictured in order of elimination (L–R):
Duff Goldman ("McTerrier"), Joe Buck ("Ram"), Jorge Garcia ("Cyclops"), Jordan Mailata ("Thingamabob"), Christie Brinkley ("Lemur"), Penn & Teller ("Hydra"), Duane Chapman ("Armadillo"), Jennifer Holliday ("Miss Teddy"), Rudy Giuliani ("Jack in the Box"), Kirstie Alley ("Baby Mammoth"), Shaggy ("Space Bunny"), En Vogue ("Queen Cobras"), Cheyenne Jackson ("Prince"), Hayley Orrantia ("Ringmaster"), and Teyana Taylor ("Firefly")

Episodes

Week 1 (March 9)

Performances on the first episode
# Stage name Song Identity Result
1 Thingamabob "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi undisclosed SAFE
2 McTerrier "Working for the Weekend" by Loverboy[b] Duff Goldman OUT
3 Cyclops "My Sacrifice" by Creed undisclosed SAFE
4 Firefly "Ain't Nobody" by Chaka Khan[c] undisclosed SAFE
5 Ram "I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick undisclosed SAFE

Week 2 (March 16)

Performances on the second episode
# Stage name Song Result
1 Firefly "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" by Michael Jackson RISK
2 Cyclops "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley SAFE
3 Ram "Learn to Fly" by Foo Fighters RISK
4 Thingamabob "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran SAFE
Duel Identity Result
1 Ram "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver Joe Buck OUT
2 Firefly "God Is a Woman" by Ariana Grande undisclosed SAFE

Week 3 (March 23)

Performances on the third episode
# Stage name Song Identity Result
1 Thingamabob "Classic" by MKTO Jordan Mailata OUT
2 Cyclops "Flashdance (What a Feeling)" by Irene Cara Jorge Garcia OUT
3 Firefly "Attention" by Charlie Puth undisclosed WIN

Week 4 (March 30)

Performances on the fourth episode
# Stage name Song Identity Result
1 Miss Teddy "Tell It to My Heart" by Taylor Dayne undisclosed SAFE
2 Hydra "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train undisclosed SAFE
3 Ringmaster "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus undisclosed SAFE
4 Lemur "I Feel the Earth Move" by Carole King Christie Brinkley OUT
5 Armadillo "Secret Agent Man" by Johnny Rivers undisclosed SAFE

Week 5 (April 6)

Performances on the fifth episode
# Stage name Song Result
1 Ringmaster "Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj SAFE
2 Armadillo "I Fought the Law" by The Bobby Fuller Four RISK
3 Hydra "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top RISK
4 Miss Teddy "Tell Me You Love Me" by Demi Lovato SAFE
Duel Identity Result
1 Armadillo "Walking the Dog" by Rufus Thomas undisclosed SAFE
2 Hydra "Two Princes" by Spin Doctors Penn and Teller OUT

Week 6 (April 13)

Performances on the sixth episode
# Stage name Song Identity Result
1 Miss Teddy "Mercy" by Duffy Jennifer Holliday OUT
2 Armadillo "Amazing Grace" Duane Chapman OUT
3 Ringmaster "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton undisclosed WIN

Week 7 (April 20)

Performances on the seventh episode
# Stage name Song Identity Result
1 Prince "La Copa de la Vida" by Ricky Martin undisclosed SAFE
2 Baby Mammoth "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline undisclosed SAFE
3 Queen Cobras "Good as Hell" by Lizzo undisclosed SAFE
4 Jack in the Box "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood & the Destroyers Rudy Giuliani OUT
5 Space Bunny "Jump in the Line" by Harry Belafonte undisclosed SAFE

Week 8 (April 27)

Performances on the eighth episode
# Stage name Song Result
1 Queen Cobras "I Say a Little Prayer" by Aretha Franklin SAFE
2 Space Bunny "All Night Long (All Night)" by Lionel Richie RISK
3 Baby Mammoth "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" by Cher RISK
4 Prince "Lay Me Down" by Sam Smith SAFE
Duel Identity Result
1 Baby Mammoth "Me Too" by Meghan Trainor Kirstie Alley OUT
2 Space Bunny "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" by Culture Club undisclosed SAFE

Week 9 (May 4)

Performances on the ninth episode
# Stage name Song Identity Result
1 Prince "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder undisclosed WIN
2 Space Bunny "Now That We Found Love" by Heavy D & the Boyz ft. Aaron Hall Shaggy OUT
3 Queen Cobras "Leave the Door Open" by Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak & Silk Sonic En Vogue OUT

Week 10 (May 18)

Performances on the eleventh episode
# Stage name Song Identity Result
Round 1
1 Prince "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay Cheyenne Jackson THIRD PLACE
2 Firefly "Bad Girl" by Usher undisclosed SAFE
3 Ringmaster "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles undisclosed SAFE
Round 2
4 Firefly "Lost Without U" by Robin Thicke Teyana Taylor WINNER
5 Ringmaster "Waking Up in Vegas" by Katy Perry Hayley Orrantia RUNNER-UP

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of The Masked Singer (American TV series) season 7
No. Title Air date Timeslot (ET) Rating/share
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR
(18–49)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total
(18–49)		 Total viewers
(millions)		 Ref.
0 "The Masked Singer Sneak Peek" February 20, 2022 Sunday 7:00 p.m. 0.5/5 2.26 0.1 0.39 0.6 2.65 [10][11][d]
1 "Masks Back - The Good, The Bad & The Cuddly - Round 1" March 9, 2022 Wednesday 8:00 p.m. 0.9/7 4.15 0.4 1.80 1.3 5.95 [12][13]
2 "Masks at Dawn - Round 1" March 16, 2022 0.7/6 4.03 0.3 1.63 1.1 5.66 [14][15]
3 "The Double Unmasking - Round 1 Finals" March 23, 2022 0.7/6 4.17 0.3 1.49 1.0 5.66 [16][17]
4 "Masking For It - The Good, The Bad & The Cuddly - Round 2" March 30, 2022 0.8/7 4.39 0.3 1.41 1.1 5.75 [18][19]
5 "Masking for a Duel - Round 2" April 6, 2022 0.7/6 3.97 0.3 1.30 1.0 5.27 [20][21]
6 "The Double Mask Off - Round 2 Finals" April 13, 2022 0.7/6 3.97 0.4 1.40 1.0 5.27 [22][23]
7 "Don't Mask, Don't Tell - The Good, The Bad & The Cuddly - Round 3" April 20, 2022 0.6/5 3.83 0.3 1.60 1.0 5.43 [24][25]
8 "The Mask of Least Resistance - Round 3" April 27, 2022 0.7/6 4.17 — — — — [26]
9 "One Mask Hurrah - Round 3 Finals" May 4, 2022 0.7/6 4.06 — — — — [27]
10 "Road to the Finals" May 11, 2022 0.5/4 3.00 — — — — [28]
11 "Season Finale: I'm Team Good, Thanks for Masking" May 18, 2022 0.7/6 4.19 — — — — [29]

Controversy

Reports prior to the season premiere identified that controversial figure Rudy Giuliani was one of the masked performers during this season, reportedly in one of the first episodes taped. Giuliani's unmasking reportedly prompted panelists Jeong and Thicke to storm off the set as an act of protest,[30] though later reports indicated that Thicke only left to check on Jeong.[31] After Giuliani was not unmasked in the premiere episode, a Fox Entertainment vice president told Newsweek, "...like most productions, the groups are not necessarily taped sequentially, so we don't always know the order they will air," with Newsweek adding on that his appearance was not cut from the show.[32] The unmasking later occurred in the seventh episode broadcast, showing the panelists' surprised reactions, as well as Jeong quietly walking off during Giuliani's unmasked performance. Prior to walking away, Jeong can be seen visibly upset at this reveal, has his arms crossed, and does not partake in the elimination interview.[33][34] The casting was widely criticized,[35][36] and was considered by Wired as a poorly-executed ratings grab, as the episode saw a significant drop in viewership compared to prior episodes in the season.[37] Rob Wade, Fox's vice president of alternative entertainment, said that they were pleased with the choice to include Giuliani as the show "is all about delivering jaw dropping moments", and was only disappointed that sources leaked the reveal early.[38]

Notes

  1. ^ Because of Hydra's three-legged design and large size, the costume had to be assembled back stage while Hydra had to be wheeled out on a special platform to get it to and from the stage.[8]
  2. ^ After this performance, McTerrier's mask accidentally came off and he had to shield his head while the panelists shielded their eyes until a crew member ran out and put the mask back on.
  3. ^ The performance was cut short due to a medical incident where Firefly's portrayer started coughing and had to be taken to see the on-site medical staff. After recovering from the incident, the performance was redone after Ram's performance.
  4. ^ Live+7 ratings were unavailable, so Live+3 ratings have been used instead.

References

  1. ^ a b Andi Ortiz (January 30, 2022). "The Masked Singer Season 7 Costumes Revealed in New Trailer (Video)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Sasha Urban (January 26, 2022). "Masked Singer Season 7 Premiere Date Set at Fox as Network Announces Spring Lineup". Variety. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  3. ^ "(SP-2216) "The Masked Singer Sneak Peek"" (Press release). Fox. Retrieved February 8, 2022 – via The Futon Critic.
  4. ^ Michael Schneider (March 7, 2022). "The Masked Singer Reveals All Season 7 Guest Panelists (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  5. ^ Michael Schneider (March 9, 2022). "The Masked Singer Season 7 Premiere Reveals Identity of McTerrier, After Unprecedented Costume Malfunction". Variety. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  6. ^ Jillian Fabiano (March 1, 2022). "Your First Look At the Cutest New Addition to The Masked Singer Season 7". E! News. Archived from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  7. ^ Lauren Huff (March 2, 2022). "Meet Hydra, The Masked Singer's first three-headed monster costume". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  8. ^ a b "The Masked Singer Hydra Costume Out Of Control ... Celebs Worried About Safety". TMZ. March 23, 2022. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  9. ^ Lorianne Palinkas (March 24, 2022). "Jorge Garcia Reveals Which Lost Co-Star Should Do Masked Singer Next". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  10. ^ Mitch Metcalf (February 23, 2022). "Sunday 2.20.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  11. ^ Marc Berman (February 21, 2022). "Sunday Ratings: The Winter Olympics Concludes With a Whimper". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  12. ^ Mitch Salem (March 10, 2022). "Wednesday 3.9.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  13. ^ Marc Berman (March 10, 2022). "Wednesday Ratings: Positive Returns for Survivor on CBS and The Masked Singer on Fox; Domino Masters Left at the Fox Starting Gate". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  14. ^ Mitch Metcalf (March 17, 2022). "Wednesday 3.16.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  15. ^ Marc Berman (March 17, 2022). "Wednesday Ratings: Beyond the Edge Opener Underwhelms on CBS; NBC Tops Night". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  16. ^ Mitch Salem (March 24, 2022). "Wednesday 3.23.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  17. ^ Marc Berman (March 24, 2022). "Wednesday Ratings: CBS Leads; Survivor Tops Night; Beyond The Edge Squanders Lead-In Support". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  18. ^ Mitch Metcalf (March 31, 2022). "Wednesday 3.30.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  19. ^ Marc Berman (March 31, 2022). "Wednesday Ratings: CBS' Veteran Survivor Tops Night; Beyond the Edge Squanders Lead-In Support". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  20. ^ Mitch Metcalf (April 7, 2022). "Wednesday 4.6.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  21. ^ Marc Berman (April 7, 2022). "Wednesday Ratings: The Kardashians Special From ABC News Not So Special". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  22. ^ Mitch Salem (April 14, 2022). "Wednesday 4.13.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  23. ^ Marc Berman (April 14, 2022). "Wednesday Ratings: NBC Wins; Veteran Survivor Solid on CBS". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  24. ^ Mitch Metcalf (April 21, 2022). "Wednesday 4.20.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  25. ^ Marc Berman (April 21, 2022). "Wednesday Ratings: NBC Wins; CBS' Survivor Solid; Fox's The Masked Singer Sinks to a Creative Low". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  26. ^ Mitch Salem (April 28, 2022). "Wednesday 4.27.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  27. ^ Mitch Metcalf (May 5, 2022). "Wednesday 5.4.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  28. ^ Mitch Salem (May 12, 2022). "Wednesday 5.11.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  29. ^ Mitch Metcalf (May 19, 2022). "Wednesday 5.18.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  30. ^ Mike Fleming Jr (February 2, 2022). "Unmasking Of Rudy Giuliani On Fox's The Masked Singer Prompts Judges Ken Jeong & Robin Thicke To Walk Off In Protest". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  31. ^ Ally Mauch (February 4, 2022). "Masked Singer: Ken Jeong Felt 'Upset' and 'Disrespected' by Rudy Giuliani Reveal, Says Sources". People. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  32. ^ Jake Thomas (March 9, 2022). "Did Masked Singer Editors Cut Rudy Giuliani? Premiere Has Internet Buzzing". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  33. ^ Dana Rose Falcone (April 20, 2022). "Ken Jeong Walks Off of The Masked Singer Set After 1 Contestant's Unmasking: 'I'm Done'". People. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  34. ^ Peter White (April 20, 2022). "The Masked Singer Finally Unveils Rudy Giuliani: "Is That Robert Duvall?"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  35. ^ Ani Bundel (February 4, 2022). "Rudy Giuliani's Masked Singer performance is a new TV low". NBC News. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  36. ^ Daniel Fienberg (February 4, 2022). "Critic's Notebook: Rudy Giuliani on The Masked Singer Is a New Low for TV Image Laundering". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  37. ^ Angela Watercutter (April 22, 2022). "Why The Masked Singer's Rudy Giuliani Reveal Failed". Wired. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  38. ^ Peter White (May 16, 2022). "The Masked Singer: Fox Alternative Chief Has "No Regrets" On Casting Rudy Giuliani In Reality Contest". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.