The Masked Singer made a grand return to Fox on Wednesday night, kicking off its 14th season with flair. With a fresh lineup of disguised celebrities, the premiere gave audiences a taste of the musical talent hidden beneath the elaborate costumes, setting the stage for yet another thrilling season of mystery and music.

This opening episode wasn’t just about showcasing vocal skills; it also featured the season’s first dramatic double elimination. One of the unmasked participants turned out to be a beloved professional baseball star, whose identity was astutely guessed by one of the show’s judges, adding an extra layer of excitement to the reveal.

Fox has promised that this season will elevate its popular themed episodes to new heights, celebrating some of the most iconic and nostalgic moments from pop culture history. This pledge sets high expectations for what’s to come, as the show continues to blend entertainment with a sense of nostalgia.

This season’s lineup of eccentric performers includes characters such as the Eggplant, Pugcasso, Queen Corgi, Scarab, and The Croissants. Each costume adds a unique flair to the competition, ensuring that viewers will be both entertained and intrigued as they try to guess the identities behind the masks.

Among this season’s group of wacky singers are the Eggplant, Pugcasso, Queen Corgi, Scarab and The Croissants.

Host Nick Cannon was back for more, alongside judges Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Rita Ora.

Before the wacky contestants took their turn on stage, the judges got a moment in the spotlight with an opening song. 

Although the professional singers Robin and Rita were an obvious choice to lead a number, having Jenny and Ken join in was more of a head-scratching choice. 

First up on the season premiere was Galaxy Girl, who sported a ringed planet with sun-like rays emanating from her head.

She had the judges on their feet with a hard-charging cover of Chappell Roan’s Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl.

Rita honed in on a Friday the 13th clue, which she thought referred to Freaky Friday, leading her to think the singer was Lindsay Lohan. She also was convinced that it was someone making a comeback.

But Jenny McCarthy thought that the clues pointed to Jennifer Love Hewitt, as she thought Friday the 13th could point toward another horror film, I Know What You Did Last Summer.

And Ken Jeong suggested that the LA clues could hint at La La Land star Emma Stone.

Next up was the Handyman, who had a notably raspy voice that the show couldn’t completely obscure.

In his introduction segment, he mentioned that he used to roll with celebrities, including Robert De Niro and Courteney Cox, which seemed to be an important clue to his identity.

The Handyman was a fan of classic R&B, as he sang the Peaches & Herb classic, Shake Your Groove Thing.

Several of the judges noted his deep, raspy voice during the performance, which seemed to be the key to guessing his identity.

Ken Jeong suggested it could be Idris Elba, based on the Handyman saying his daughter wanted him to do the show, as Idris has a daughter.

One of the clues, Ace of Spades, could have been the name of a brand of champagne, and Jeong said that Idris also has his own label.

But Robin thought the voice reminded him of ‘legend rappers,’ and he suggested it could be Wild Thing rapper Tone Loc.

He didn’t mention it, but the Ace of Spades clue could have pointed toward the Jim Carrey comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, which Tone Loc had a role in, and which also starred Courteney Cox.

But Rita Ora went in a completely different direction and guessed that the raspy voice belonged to Vin Diesel.

Next up were two dog-themed competitors, Pugcasso and Queen Corgi.

Pugcasso’s introductory segment noted that he decided to take a different career rather than take over his family business as planned.

There was a painting of home plate from a baseball stadium, as well as a statue of Big Ben, and Pugcasso was said to have won first place in an unnamed showdown.

The performer, who sounded as if he had a southern-tinged accent when his voice was pitched up, wowed the judges with a cover of Alex Warren’s Ordinary. 

Ken thought that Pugcasso’s excellent voice suggested that he wasn’t likely a baseball star, despite the clues pointing in that direction.

Instead, he thought it sounded like Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds.

But Rita Ora thought the ‘incredible voice’ pointed toward Darren Criss.

Robin also thought it was a professional singer, and he guessed it was Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic. 

Queen Corgi opted for a dramatic Broadway-style song, performing the Funny Girl song Don’t Rain On My Parade, which was made famous by original star Barbra Streisand.

Rita thought the voice could be another actor and singer, so she suggested it could be Nikki Blonsky, star of the Hairspray remake.

Other guesses included former SNL stars Maya Rudolph and Aidy Bryant.

But the guests were stumped when Queen Corgi said she wasn’t a stranger to performing, but that she wasn’t known for live performances, suggesting she wasn’t a theatre veteran.

Clues included that she hadn’t gone to or completed college, and a ‘Live from New York’ message on screen, which led them to think of SNL stars.

But she was also teased as a big YouTube star, which complicated the picture.

After the two performances, voters picked Pugcasso’s performance as the stronger of the two, meaning that he was safe, while Queen Corgi was threatened with elimination. 

Following the cuddly Queen Corgi was the more aggressive-looking Scarab, who wore an armored green beetle-like costume.

She was said to be ‘perhaps the most decorated [contestant]’ on the show, who had rubbed elbows with presidents and stars, including Brad Pitt and Prince. 

It was also revealed that her name had regularly been guessed — incorrectly — on past seasons of The Masked Singer.

Ken took the clues about her connections as evidence that the Scarab was Whoopi Goldberg, though the other judges weren’t buying that.

Jenny McCarthy thought it could be Viola Davis, while Robin thought it could be Broadway veteran and Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph, who had been a friend of his late father.

The Scarab was competing against the male and female duo of the Croissants. 

Despite wearing comically French-inspired costumes, the two — who said they had been pulled apart — had heavy Southern accents and favored classic rock and roll with a cover of Leiber and Stoller’s Jailhouse Rock, which was made famous by Elvis Presley.

In addition to clues about prison and their Southern accents, their introduction suggested they were also reality TV stars.

Robin guessed that it could be Snooki and Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino from Jersey Shore.

Jenny had a much stronger guess that it could be convicted fraudsters Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were recently pardoned by President Donald Trump and released from prison.

Rita instead suggested it could be Heidi and Spencer Pratt, hot off Spencer’s announcement that he is running for LA Mayor.

However, the episode would have been taped before he made his announcement. 

Next up was another edible treat, the Snow Cone, who sang The Pussycat Dolls’s When I Grow Up.

Clues included that she once modeled for a fashion catalog as a child, before she was cast in one of ‘TV’s hottest shows.’ 

However, she was fired from the show and ‘iced out’ of Hollywood, though she was trying to make her way back in now. 

Jenny thought the clues pointed toward Mischa Barton, and she noted a ‘CO’ on one of her boots, which could be reversed to be the name of Mischa’s series, The OC.

Rita instead suggested it could be former Simple Life star Nicole Richie, while Ken thought it could be former Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen. 

The Stingray then took to the stage.

He indicated that he was a nepo baby from a famous family that threw parties with stars like Michael Jackson and Luther Vandross in attendance. 

He also had a photo of Paris Hilton displayed, and he indicated that he had been to the Met Gala in the past. 

The Stingray performed a soulful version of the Bee Gees hit Stayin’ Alive.

Ken kicked off the guesses with Lenny Kravitz, who came from a famous family.

Jenny went in a different direction, suggesting a younger performer: Jaden Smith.

Rita instead thought he could be Lil Romeo.