SPOILER ALERT: Details follow for Season 13, Episode 7 of “The Masked Singer,” “Carnival Night,” which aired March 26 on Fox.
Candace Cameron Bure said “The Masked Singer” producers asked her four times to appear on the hit Fox singing competition until she finally relented. And even though she was eliminated on her first episode (performing as “Cherry Blossom”), the “Full House” star told Variety she was happy she did it.
“I always tell my kids that if something they have an opportunity, but it scares them that they should do it because it’s a learning opportunity and you can build confidence from it,” Cameron Bure said. “I think I needed to take my own advice, so I finally said yes.”
For Cherry Blossom, no one got it right. Rita Ora said it was Jessica Biel. Robin Thicke thought it was Tracey Gold from “Growing Pains.” Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg named Jennie Garth. Ken Jeong went with Tina Fey.
Cameron Bure credited her husband and daughter for encouraging her to take “The Masked Singer” gig, even though she doesn’t have much experience holding a tune. “I have more of a perfectionist personality, so if I know I’m not very good at something, I don’t want to do it,” she said. “But they were encouraging. And I think, because the show asked me so many times to do it, it’s kind of like, when someone keeps knocking at the door and you keep turning them away, you finally open it up to kind of get rid of them! That was a little bit of it too. I’m like, ‘OK, I just need to do this and get it over with!’”
The star noted that “The Masked Singer” provides large TelePrompTers to help with lyrics, and the Cherry Blossom costume was relatively easy to maneuver.
“I did have a really good time, once I performed,” she said. “You realize that the show is just a big guessing game. So when my name was called first out of my panel, I was super bummed out. I wish that I was able to do one more week, to have enjoyed the second week a little bit more. But that’s how it goes, and I still loved it. I’m really glad I did it.”
Cameron Bure was eliminated after singing “Let’s Get Loud,” by Jennifer Lopez. The next week she was planning to sing “Dirty Pop,” by *NSYNC. The next episode is “’90s Week,” which would have fit her perfectly.
“We actually had a very cute package that would have been geared towards Robin, because Robin and I were childhood friends,” she said. “And he said it on the show, we were boyfriend/girlfriend for like a week. When we were 12 or 13 years old, we crushed on each other. So 90s Week would have been really fun to perform on.”
Candace Cameron Bure as Cherry Blossom joins James Van Der Beek as Griffin, Flavor Flav as Space Ranger, Sheana Shay as Bat, Aubrey O’Day as Ant, Oscar de la Hoya as Fuzzy Peas and Cedric the Entertainer as Honey Pot as the celebrities unmasked on “The Masked Singer” Season 13.
“Carnival Night” kicked off the Group C faceoffs, which will ultimately end with two more contestants moving on to the “Lucky Six.” So far, that group includes Group A winners Coral and Paparazzo, and Group B winners Pearl and Boogie Woogie.
Back for Season 13 are host Nick Cannon, alongside panelists Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, Rita Ora and Robin Thicke. Ora was at the desk for a third consecutive season to fill in for Nicole Scherzinger.
New this season, a mysterious masked character dubbed “Detective Lucky Duck” will appear throughout the season to give clues and help the panelists “quack” the case of who’s under the masks. “If you’ve been listening, you’ll hear the right pitch,” Lucky Duck said about Mad Scientist Monster.
Also new: The “Crack the Case” clue cases, in which more clues are shared about the eliminated contestant. For Cherry Blossom, the clue was a button — which led to a video starring Joey Fatone (aka the Rabbit). He said he knew Cherry Blossom “from the 90s convention circuit. She’s part of one of the most famous TV families of the 90s.”
“The Masked Singer” Season 13 themed episodes include a tribute to franchises “Shrek” and “Ghostbusters,” as well as the Grand Ole Opry as it hits its 100th anniversary. Also on tap are a tribute to the Rat Pack and themes such as “Voices of Olympus: Unmasking of the Gods,” “Carnival,” “Boy Bands,” “Decades,” “Lucky 6 Speed Guessing,” a “Clash of the Masks” and the return of “Soundtrack of My Life.”
Masked contestants in Season 13 include Honey Pot, Space Ranger, Cherry Blossom, Coral, Fuzzy Peas, Ant, Paparazzo, Griffin, Boogie Woogie, Pearl, Bat, Yorkie, Stud Muffin, Nessy and Mad Scientist Monster.
Here were the performances on Wednesday’s Episode 7, “Carnival Night”:
Yorkie, “The Masked Singer” (Michael Becker/Fox)
Song: “Hot To Go!,” by Chappell Roan
Panel guesses: Chelsea Handler, Paris Hilton, Kyle Richards
Clue: “I was down bad but then a lovely woman in Beverly Hills adopted me and now I’m wearing Chanel and eating caviar.”
Yorkie voiceover: “Becoming Yorkie is kismet. We’re both sassy, fashion-forward and dare I say it, popular. But don’t be fooled by the designer dog look. I’ve still got a bite. I mean, Yorkies are bred to catch rats. Which is a good skill to have when you’ve been through everything I’ve been through. And girl, I’ve been through a lot of crazy stuff. One minute you’re so hot, the next it’s your time to go. But I didn’t roll over. And lucky for me, I had music. And it’s the one place I can truly express myself. It rescued me in my darkest hours and has led me here. And now, I’m hot and ready to go fight for top dog status.”
Stud Muffin, “The Masked Singer.” (Michael Becker/Fox)
Song: “Jump Around,” by House of Pain
Panel guesses: Method Man, Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan
Clue: “One of my teammates used to run with a mascot. And I thought it was so cool. But no, loved the idea, but Nick, love doesn’t cost a thing.”
Stud Muffin voiceover: “Becoming Stud Muffin makes sense because I’ve had a muffin time the majority of my life. I’ve always said, if I could have any dream job, I would be a mascot. You get people pumped up and nobody knows who you are! So that’s why I’m here as Stud Muffin, to rep my team. I learned from day one having a strong crew is the only way to score. But before we were sweeping up the competition, I was sweeping up the floors. Literally. Until I found my right hook and my shot at the big time. Me and my crew went from the muffin bottom to the muffin top. But we’re still those hungry players we were from the jump. Now, this Stud Muffin is here to hype you all up. Because I’m here to win.”
Nessy, “The Masked Singer.” (Michael Becker/Fox)
Song: “Roxanne,” by The Police
Panel guesses: Gene Simmons, Dan Reynolds, Daryl Hall
Clue: “I took a long time off to be with my family. But being able to come on here and be invited back into the limelight really feels good.”
Nessy voiceover: “Becoming Nessy just makes sense. I too am a gentle giant. I stick my neck out for the people I love. And I’m a little bit mysterious. Like that Loch Ness monster, some would call me a legend. But I’m a pretty private guy. So unless you venture deep into the anchors of my estate, you might never catch a glimpse of me. Most of my neighbors and even my mailman don’t realize that I’m that guy with all the success. But this elusiveness is by my design. It allows me to live the best of both worlds. I get the glory and the solitude with my family. So now, as Nessy, I’m coming out of hiding to rock this stage with a classic. I hope I got this competition on lock.”
Cherry Blossom, “The Masked Singer.” (Michael Becker/Fox)
Song: “Let’s Get Loud,” by Jennifer Lopez
Panel guesses: Tina Fey, Lori Greiner, Jennie Garth
Clue: “This is the scariest thing I’ve ever done. But I am channeling my kids’ confidence. One of them sings. But my legs are still noodles right now.”
Cherry Blossom voiceover: “To me, Cherry Blossom represents rebirth. A changing of seasons. Which is why it’s perfect for me. And also, this is personal. I’m here to honor my close friend who’s been here before. You can say we grew up together. She taught me to not take myself so seriously. There was no one who made me laugh more. Fast forward to the day I turned on ‘The Masked Singer’ and heard that voice. I knew from the very first note who it was. Now, while I’m excited to follow in their footsteps, I’m also terrified. I’ve done it all in my career, but I’ve never sung before. But, deep breath, I think it’s important for this Cherry Blossom to branch out and have a little fun. So, this is for one of the loudest personalities I know. Miss you bud.”
Mad Scientist Monster, “The Masked Singer.” (Michael Becker/Fox)
Song: “Unwell,” by Matchbox Twenty
Panel guesses: Luke Combs, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton
Clue: “This is so important to me, because this gives me an opportunity to reintroduce myself to fans in a way that they’ve never seen before.”
Mad Scientist Monster voiceover: “Becoming the Mad Scientist Monster fits perfectly for me. Because you have to be a little bit crazy, keep experimenting and reinventing yourself. Which is why I‘m here. Let’s go win this thing. Sometimes in life you think you have the perfect equation, that things will be simple. I was on the path to become the best in my field. My skills made the scouts go wild. It seemed like everyone wanted to recruit me to their team. But when it was time for my chance, everything combusted. They sidelined me. I about lost my mind. But in the chaos a new experiment bubbled to the surface. See for every action there’s a reaction. And my reaction changed the world. I found my purpose. So it turns out, I’m not crazy. I’m just a little mad. So stay awhile, as there’s a high probability I’ll melt your heart.”
In Season 12, Boyz II Men (as the Buffalo) won the Masked trophy, beating out Mario, as the Wasp, who was this season’s runner-up. They joined AJ Michalka as Strawberry Shortcake; Kobie Turner as Goo, Jana Kramer as Royal Knight, Bronson Arroyo as Sherlock Hound, Drake Bell as Ice King, Bethany Hamilton as Macaron, Natalie Imbruglia as Bluebell, Laverne Cox as Chess Piece, Andy Richter as Dusty Bunny, Paula Cole as Ship, Marsai Martin as Woodpecker, Yvette Nicole Brown as Showbird and John Elway as Leaf Sheep as the celebrities unmasked on “The Masked Singer” Season 12.
“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.
