Who Are the Thirsty Celebrities on The Masked Singer?
Our best guesses for season 12.
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This post has been updated with new clues, theories, and eliminations.
When The Masked Singer’s latest season opens, it’s with a reminder that the show has already hosted “186 celebrities over 11 seasons.” That statistic raises the very real question of what now qualifies as “celebrity” status in the world of The Masked Singer, considering the typically C-to-D-list “stars” the show tends to attract these days. If we’re to believe the judges — and, really, no one should — it’s entirely possible that Cardi B, Tom Brady, or Kerry Washington could jump out of an absurd costume onto the show’s glossy stage at any given time. And while, with very few exceptions, no one with that level of fame ever has been unmasked, viewers soldier on, determined to see which who?s are revealed each week.
Since the season is broken into four groups of five celebs this time around, we’re getting a slow rollout of characters and costumes, meaning it could be a while before we meet contestants like Dust Bunny, Goo, Wasp, Bluebell, Chess Piece, Sherlock Hound, Royal Knight, Macaron, Ice King, and Strawberry Shortcake. But based on what we’ve seen so far, here’s our very scientific and mostly confident stab at who we think the sort of famous contestants are this season on The Masked Singer.
Group A
Who is Buffalo?
Here’s what we know about Buffalo: While the show initially teases Buffalo as just one person, it’s quickly revealed that the “buffalo” is actually plural, indicating three members of a herd. When they’re introduced by “ambassador” and friend Nick Lachey, there’s talk of “roach-filled beds at night and practicing at bus stops,” pictures of both Betty and Vanna White, and a suggestion that they’ve been on “two of the biggest sitcoms of all time.” There are also nods to some sort of Walk of Fame, a slot-machine jackpot, and a crown. And, though this is no help at all, Lachey says that the Buffalo are “always the center of attention at my epic Super Bowl parties.” In the second episode, we learn that they “found each other along the way” and that some people think they’re corny, but also that they’re both rich and associated with the word “Motown.”
Why it’s definitely Boyz II Men: A sort of corny vocal group that’s rich and associated with Motown? That could only be Boyz II Men. They have a star on the Walk of Fame, they just wrapped a brief Vegas run (featuring Masked Singer judge Robin Thicke, who’s absolutely convinced it’s not them), they performed during the Super Bowl halftime show way back when, and member Wanya Morris was in a weird insurance-sponsored “supergroup” with Lachey last year. They’ve also appeared on a number of sitcoms, including The Fresh Prince, Moesha, and How I Met Your Mother.
Why it might not be Boyz II Men: Both Jenny McCarthy and Rita Ora seem to think it could be B2K, citing the possible presence of Omarion, a singer who’s already been on The Masked Singer and who absolutely hasn’t starred in any incredibly popular sitcoms, save a couple guest appearances on The Bernie Mac Show and Grown-ish. Rita Ora also suggests that it could be Earth, Wind & Fire, a notion so absurd we’re just going to reject it outright. Other guesses bandied around include 112 and Big Time Rush, both of which seem possible but also just don’t really fit the clues quite as well as Boyz II Men.
Who is Woodpecker?
Here’s what we know about Woodpecker: Introduced by ambassador Jenifer Lewis, who’s known Woodpecker “since her start,” this masked contestant is small and seemingly female and says she’s both a mogul and a “chic CEO” before dropping that she’s also friends with Beyoncé. She was a child actor and she’s on the show, she says, because she is “striving to be the youngest billionaire.”
Why it’s definitely Marsai Martin: At just 20 years old, Marsai Martin has already lived a very long and productive Hollywood life. She starred alongside Lewis on Black-ish, has received six NAACP Image and two SAG Award nominations, and has produced or executive-produced multiple projects. She has a first-look production deal with Universal, appeared in Good Burger 2, and once told BET that she’d “like to be the youngest billionaire or trillionaire.”
Why it might not be Marsai Martin: It is. She was unmasked midway through the “Soundtrack Of Our Lives” episode.
Who is Leaf Sheep?
Here’s what we know about Leaf Sheep: Introduced by former Denver Bronco Demarcus Ware (last season’s the Koala), Leaf Sheep is referred to as “the GOAT,” though he says “these days, I’m a little sluggish, but you should have seen me in my prime.” He’s “topped the charts” and “revived a franchise,” and he is somehow linked to both a cowboy-hat-wearing seahorse and a quarter. He’s also a pretty bad singer.
Why it’s definitely John Elway: Given that we’re looking for someone who’s older, played quarterback in an NFL team associated with either a cowboy or a horse, and who probably can’t sing a lick, our minds go right to former Denver Broncos QB John Elway. While you could argue that the 10-6 Broncos were doing okay before Elway’s arrival in 1983, they were sort of in the tank in the mid-to-late ’00s before Elway signed on as GM and brought Peyton Manning in as QB, a move that led to the team ultimately going to the Super Bowl.
Why it might not be John Elway: It is. His lackluster vocal performance landed him in the bottom in the season premiere, leading to his unmasking.
Who is Showbird?
Here’s what we know about Showbird: Introduced by good friend Joel McHale, who’s never actually been a Masked Singer contestant but who likes to give judge Ken Jeong a fair amount of shit, Showbird was a “tomboy growing up” and admits to being into nerdy stuff, like LEGO and Comic-Con. She says she’s been in some of the biggest blockbuster movies ever, and there’s a golden gavel in her intro video, suggesting she’s some sort of judge. In the second episode, she says she met the love of her life only recently, saying he encouraged her to follow her long-dormant passion for singing.
Why it’s definitely Yvette Nicole Brown: First of all: Just listen to her. That’s 100 percent Yvette Nicole Brown’s distinctive voice. Second, there’s the link to both McHale and Jeong, whom she starred alongside in Community. And third and fourthly, there are the Hollywood clues, since she notably played Judge Anita Harper on A Black Lady Sketch Show and had roles in Tropic Thunder, Avengers: Endgame, and (500) Days of Summer, among other projects. The recently engaged Lego superfan is also a Comic-Con regular who’s moderated more than one big Hall H panel.
Why it might not be Yvette Nicole Brown: It is. She was unmasked at the end of episode two.
Who is the Ship?
Here’s what we know about the Ship: Clad in a sort of steampunk schooner look, the Ship gets her props from Jewel, who has apparently been friends with her for years and years. (She’s connected to Melissa Etheridge somehow as well.) The Ship says she found singing after an injury forced her to the sidelines during high school, but that once she did, her “career set sail at a rapid clip.” Somewhere in the middle, though, she “lost control, became lost at sea, and felt forgotten.” She’s turned it around since and now has “the career [she’s] always wanted.” The Ship also seems to be a professional singer, given how well she tackles “Pompeii,” by Bastille, with an impressive bit of alto vibrato.
Why it’s definitely Paula Cole: The cowboy hat in the first episode got us thinking about the “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone” singer, and a quick Google proves that Cole was, like the Ship says, president of her high-school class, a cheerleader, and even prom queen. Cole is also a classically trained jazz singer, which could account for why the Ship delivers such a stellar vocal performance each and every week. Add to that the fact that Cole won the Best New Artist Grammy in 1998, as referenced in her time capsule, and we’re almost positive this guess is a winner.
Why it might not be Paula Cole: It is. She was unmasked at the end of episode three, after a battle royale with the Buffalo.
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