SPOILER ALERT: Do not read further if you have not seen Season 10, Episode 12 of The Masked Singer, “Soundtrack to My Life,” which aired December 13 on Fox.
Oh, oh, here he comes. Be careful, boy, he'll chew you up! Oh, oh, here he comes. John Oates is an anteater.
Say it's not like that. John Oates, one half of the most successful rock duo of all time – Daryl Hall & John Oates – was unveiled Wednesday as an anteater in “The Masked Singer.” Keyshia Cole was also later revealed to be Candelabra.
Oates' appearance comes at a rather fortuitous time: He and Hall were recently in the news after a dispute (and Hall's lawsuit) over Oates' plan to sell his share of their joint venture.
“I can’t really talk about it,” Oates told Variety last week. “I don't really want to talk about it. That's not why I'm here. I want to concentrate on the music and [‘The Masked Singer’]. Things will work themselves out and only time will tell.”
Okay, we get it, he can't do that. So let's talk about “The Masked Singer” – Oates dressing up as “Anteater” was obviously a reference to the famous Hall & Oates song “Maneater.” And yet this obvious clue was completely lost on the show's panelists.
“They beat me down, tied my hands behind my back and told me I was going to be the anteater,” Oates quipped. “To be honest, when I saw the rendering of the costume, I didn't really like it. But I just went with the flow. Then I realized Anteater/Maneater. It was interesting that no one else on the show picked up on that. At least they didn’t talk about it.”
With Anteater, no one really understood it. Nicole Scherzinger thought it was John Mellencamp, while Robin Thicke called Jackson Browne. Ken Jeong chose Billy Joel. Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg suspected Steven Van Zandt.
“I was flattered by the comparisons they made,” Oates said. “I really liked the fact that they compared me to some of my favorite singers. People like Mellencamp and Billy Joel, Bryan Adams, Bob Seger. They seemed to really like my singing performance.”
Oates said he agreed to do “The Masked Singer” after realizing there was a way to perform without the audience's preconceived Hall & Oates ideas. “It separates me from the image of me in Hall & Oates, the '80s, the pop hits and all that stuff. 'What happens if I just sing?'” he said. “What will the reaction be? This fascinated me and I wanted to do it mainly for that reason. And I also realized that it was a huge platform. It's such a successful show. I do a lot of charity work and things like that for some great organizations. And I thought if I can spread it, I can reach a lot of people.”
Still, Oates said he didn't anticipate how difficult it would be to perform in that costume. “Singing and choreographing in this crazy suit was really difficult,” he said. “The Men in Black take you through a dark backstage corridor where you can't see anything. And they bring you on stage and there are strobe lights, falling confetti and flashing video screens. It's crazy and people are screaming, the audience is crazy. I wear these huge size 15 work boots that you literally had to shoehorn my feet into. It was definitely a challenge.”
As for being voted off the show, Oates admitted he was disappointed – and blamed jet lag for his final appearance. “It was a good experience until the end,” he said. “When I had the very last episode, I was booked for a one-off show at the Newport Folk Festival. I took a leap and then rushed to the airport to see the redeye. I went to LA and had to get up early in the morning to go straight to the TV studio to film “Masked Singer.” And so I was really tired.”
As for “Candelabra,” Nicole Scherzinger was right to name Keyshia Cole, and Robin Thicke also named Cole. Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg said it was Brandy and Ken Jeong went with Kelly Rowland.
“They let me choose the songs I wanted to sing as much as possible,” Bach said. “Which made me happy because I got to do Elton John, “Magic” by Pilot and Lady Gaga. There were a few other songs I wanted to sing, but we couldn't finish them in time. “The Final Countdown” from Europe. I wanted to kill you all with this. I asked to do some Journey and Led Zeppelin, but that was pretty hard to sort out.”
The singer with the fewest votes that night was Oates as the Anteater. The remaining two contestants who competed in a Battle Royale (no more “Smackdown”) to determine who would advance to the finals were Donut and Candelabra. The two contestants sang their own version of “Wanted” by Hunter Hayes. (Hayes, who previously appeared as an astronaut on “The Masked Singer,” was also on hand to sing his song.)
Cole as Candelabra was subsequently voted out, meaning Group C champion Donut will face Group B winner Sea Queen, Group A champion Cow and Group A “Ding Dong Keep It On” winner in next week's final Gazelle will meet.
John Oates as Anteater and Keysia Cole as Candelabra join Sebastian Bach as Tiki, Ginuwine as Husky, Ashley Parker Angel as S'more, Metta World Peace as Cuddly Monster, Luann de Lesseps as Hibiscus, Tyler Posey as Hawk and Billie Jean King as Royal Hen, Michael Rapaport as Pickle, Tom Sandoval as Diver, Anthony Anderson as Rubber Ducky and one-time special guest Demi Lovato as Anonymouse are the unmasked celebrities of season 10 so far.
“The Masked Singer” features a new format this season with three groups, followed by battle royale semifinal episodes. The season also includes the return of Wild Card contestants, with each group being offered a Wild Card, and the “Ding Dong Keep It On Bell” bell is back in the battle royale semi-final episodes where the judges can decide to save a contestant from elimination and move them straight to the finals.
Featuring a total of sixteen celebrity singers, Season 10 features new costumes including “Donut”, “Anteater”, “Hawk”, “Hibiscus”, “Diver”, “Gazelle”, “Royal Hen”, “Husky”, “Tiki”, ” Pickle,” “Rubber Ducky,” “Candelabra,” “Cow,” “Sea Queen,” “Anonymouse,” and a life-sized “S'More.” Marking the show's 10th outing, celebrities who have been previously unmasked since the show's inception also return. According to the show, Season 10 contestants “collectively have 40 medals, 33 Grammy nominations, seven Hall of Fame awards, three lifetime achievement awards and over 50 tattoos.”
The season's themed episodes included a tribute to Elton John; a “Trolls Night” in conjunction with the November release of DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls Band Together”; a “Harry Potter Night” that airs Halloween week; “NFL Night”; “One Hit Wonders”; “Disco”; “Night of the 2000s”; “I wanna Rock”; and “Soundtrack of my Life.” Returning for season ten are host Nick Cannon and panelists Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke.
Here are the other appearances in this week's episode:
Candelabra, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker / Fox) Pete Dadds
Candelabra
song: “I’m Going Down” by Mary J. Blige
Panel estimates: Tamar Braxton, Keyshia Cole, Rozonda “Chili” Thomas, Dawn Richard
Note on the mixtape: “Party jams.” “Nicole, I’ll never forget the fun we had partying at an industry party.”
Packet voiceover: “It's great to continue to set the stage on fire in this competition. And I'm overjoyed that I made it to the Group C final. Tonight I'll be singing “I'm Going Down” by Mary J. Blige. It's a song about heartbreak, which I've definitely experienced. I was in a relationship with someone I loved very much for a long time. We had a child and built a life together. But he kept proving to me that I couldn't trust him. I tried to stay for our child, but ultimately staying wasn't good for either of us. And I decided to walk away. I learned in that moment that I have to love myself first. And that's exactly what I've been doing ever since. That's why I'm sharing my whole heart on this stage tonight. And hopefully that’s enough to get me to the final.”
Previous songs: “1 Thing” by Amerie; “All My Life” by K-CI & Jojo
Previous note: “Real tea.” “I want you to know that I stay 100% real on and off camera.”
Previous panel guesses: Regina Hall, Brandy, Anika Noni Rose, Tamar Braxton, Monica, Fantasia, Keyshia Cole, Ashanti, Kelly Rowland
Anteater, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker / Fox) Pete Dadds
ant-eater
song: “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry
Panel estimates: Paul Stanley, Jackson Browne, Steven Van Zandt
Mixtape note: “Deep thoughts.” “I had the greatest conversation when I spoke to Jenny.”
Packet voiceover: “Don’t underestimate a little king. Cuddly Monster may have a few inches ahead of me, but like David and Goliath, this anteater has the edge. Tonight I'm singing “Johnny B. Goode” because I listened to Chuck Berry on the radio as a kid and collected all of his 45 RPM records. When my mother enrolled me in guitar lessons when I was five years old, this was one of the first songs I learned to play on my right-handed guitar. And it's not easy if you're a left-handed person. Even after decades of creating my own unique sound and inspiring others, I am still influenced by these early musical pioneers. Now I can't wait to get on stage and show that real rock 'n' roll never dies. Hopefully I can make it to the final.”
Previous songs: “Walking in Memphis,: by Mark Cohn; “I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys
Previous note: “Hall of Fame.” “I think the trolls might know something about the Hall of Fame.”
Previous panel guesses: Rick Springfield, John Mellencamp, Bryan Adams, Bob Seger, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon
Donut, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker / Fox) Pete Dadds
donuts
song: “Georgia on My Mind” by Ray Charles
Panel estimates: Tom Jones, John Schneider, Engelbert Humperdink
Mixtape note: “Poker night.” “Robin, this mixtape was on repeat every time I was with your dear, sweet father.”
Packet voiceover: “The last time I sang my heart out on stage felt so fulfilling. I know my wife is watching every step of my journey and would be thrilled if I made it to the Group C final. I sing “Georgia on My Mind” by Ray Charles. This is a song that I can really relate to because it's about being far away from the one you love. When I was a young man, I had the opportunity to sing this song in a duet with Ray on a television show. Performing with Ray was magical. Remember, he wasn't a big guy. But when he opened his mouth to sing, he could blow you away with his power. Now when I watch videos of our performance, I realize I was way out of my league. Tonight I hope to make Ray proud.”
Previous songs: “Hooked on a Feeling” by Blue Suede; “I Do (Cherish You)” by 98 Degrees
Previous note: hair and spices. “I am experienced and have enjoyed it for several generations.”
Previous panel guesses: Sylvester Stallone, Jeff Bridges, Tom Jones, Stanley Tucci, Liam Neeson, Engelbert Humperdinck
“The Masked Singer” is produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment, with James Breen (who is also showrunner), Craig Plestis and Cannon as executive producers.