Each season, The Masked Singer features a diverse mix of celebrities to appeal to viewers of every age, from actual singers to actors, comedians, producers, athletes, and even social media personalities. But there are always a few people who both the judges and viewers instantly peg because of their recognizable voices, or by picking up on some of the crafty clues. Conversely, however, there are always ones that totally surprise everyone.
Season 5 of the series, which wrapped up in May 2021, was no exception. It saw the first non-human celebrity, the first trio, wildcards, and even a masked celebrity who wasn't competing but just there to cause trouble. All of the reveals were totally fun but a few, in particular, really stood out.
Hanson
Anyone who grew up in the '90s recognized the voices of this group of brothers who became famous for their song "MMMBop," counting them among contestants who everyone guessed pretty early on. Nonetheless, the reveal was among the best because, each week, they came out to sing with a different number of Russian Doll characters entering the stage from every angle to throw the judges off.
It kept the judges and viewers guessing. How many people are there really under those costumes? Are they multiplying? And who are these voices they know but can't place?
Tyrese Gibson
Previously known as Robopine, Tyrese Gibson fooled most of the judges and fans who had no idea he was the secret identity behind the mask and the spiky costume. Mostly, this was because the clues were designed to throw people off. They were very obscure and some were even outright untrue.
Some of these clues designed to misdirect included the implication that he was 60 years old, references to Costa Rica, and grandchildren, none of which have any direct connection to Gibson himself. Was it fair to mix untruths with real clues? Based on the way other clues have gone, not really but it's all in good fun.
Bobby Brown
This R&B singer will now be known to a young legion of fans as The Crab from Masked Singer. Bobby Brown was unmasked, much to the surprise of the judges and fans who were curious about the identity of the celebrity who had to be taken off stage in an earlier episode because he was overheating under the costume.
Brown delivered an emotional speech confirming that he came on the show for his kids and to show them that "dad is still kicking." It wasn't a complete surprise that it was him as the voice is pretty distinctive. Nonetheless, it was a great moment once it was confirmed.
Danny Trejo
On the episode where Trejo was officially unmasked as the hidden identity behind The Raccoon, his performance of "Wild Thing" brought forth a ton of clues about his identity. His voice is so distinctive, though he isn't one of the actors who come on the show and can secretly sing really well. Rather, he is ittedly tone-deaf. Thus, when he ended up more speaking than singing a lot of the lines of the song, it became clear who it was.
Still, no one believed that such a huge star like Trejo, who has been in more than 200 projects to date, would be on the show. He said that when he was asked to do the show, it was the cute costume, which closely resembled his own Schnauzer dog (despite being called a Racoon), that convinced him to do it.
Caitlyn Jenner
She rose like a Phoenix from the ashes to reveal her true self so it's fitting that Caitlyn Jenner was none other than the Phoenix on the series. It makes sense that Jenner would add secret singer to her resume seeing as she has conquered sports, reality TV, and reportedly aspires to dabble in politics, too.
Jenner revealed that she had been asked to do the show in previous seasons but said it's "wealthiest celebrities to have appeared on the show, which makes the reveal that she came on the show at all even more shocking.
Kermit the Frog
One of the most shocking celebrity reveals of the franchise was that of famous puppet and Muppet Kermit the Frog. While the voice was undeniably nasal-y like the iconic character, no one ever considered that the singer under the elaborate Snail costume could actually not be human.
Of course, as a puppet, there is a person controlling Kermit's movements and voice so technically, it was a real person. Nonetheless, this was one of the few competitors that no one on the judges' guessed right.
Nick Cannon
Cannon had been off quarantining for the first half of the new season, with Niecy Nash filling in for him during his absence. Fans were beginning to get worried that Cannon wasn't well enough to return before the season ended. But he did it in perfect Masked Singer fashion.
Cannon came on the show halfway through under the guise of a new "wildcard" player, the Bulldog. It didn't seem unusual since there had been other wild cards before. When he revealed himself though, everyone was in shock.
Donnie Wahlberg
No one was more shocked than Jenny McCarthy when her husband, New Kid on the Block Donnie Wahlberg, was revealed to be the Cluedle-Doo, a troublemaking character who didn't really go on the show to compete but to deliver (and block) clues and generally act mischievous.
Cluedle-Doo did, however, sang one tune before being unmasked. But even then, McCarthy didn't recognize her own husband's voice, guessing instead that it might be Akon. The fact that he was able to keep it a secret from her the entire time shocked the judge even more. Jenny's embarrassment and the crowd going wild after the reveal made it one of the biggest of the season.
Wiz Khalifa
Chameleon wanted to be the first celebrity to win the series by rapping alone. Sadly, he fell just short of the title, placing third on finale night. But he won the game when it came to surprising reveals. The judges guessed everyone from Waka Flocka Flame to Machine Gun Kelly. But Robin Thicke hit the nail on the head – something that shocked even him once Khalifa took off his mask – by guessing the multi-award-winning musical artist.
Like many others with current, A-list celebrity status who have been on the show, Khalifa said he did it for his child who loved and watched the show and was sure to be as surprised and excited at the reveal as everyone else in the room.