The Masked Singer season 3 predictions: Bow Wow, Bret Michaels, and other celebs under the masks
Season 3 of The Masked Singer is in full swing and we're ready to make some predictions about which celebrities are going to be unveiled. EW was right on the money with our guesses last season, which gives us a boost of confidence going into this new installment.
We met 18 contestants this season and already said goodbye to some huge names, including superstar rapper Lil Wayne, who was revealed to be under the Robot mask in the post-Super Bowl premiere.
Below are our predictions for the contestants in all three teams who have yet to be revealed based on the clues and their performances. As always, there are some we’re sure about, like Rob Gronkowski as White Tiger, and some we’re a little less certain about, like Kangaroo. Find out our reasoning below and weigh in with your guesses in the comments!
Who is White Tiger?
Pull the lever (or mask), Gronk! We’re 100 percent sure it’s you. A clue about clam shucking combined with the beginning of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address “four score and seven years ago” (which adds up to 87) led us straight to Rob Gronkowksi (nicknamed “Gronk” by his fans), who was No. 87 on the New England Patriots before he retired. Other numerical hints were the 51 on the clam trophy (he was a Super Bowl 51 champ) and the poster with the date “5/3,” which could either be a reference to also winning Super Bowl 53 or the stat that out of five Super Bowls the Pats were in while he was on the team, he won a ring in three of them.
There are also multiple references to wrestling and the ring — Gronkowski is a huge wrestling fan and even appeared on WWE’s Wrestlemania 33. Finally, at the end of the clues clip, White Tiger said, “Let’s party!” which could be a nod to Gronk’s reputation as a hard partier.
As The Masked Singer’s costume designer told EW, the celebrity under the mask fit perfectly with the White Tiger “warrior character.”
“I embraced and embodied who I was working with and how can I make this such a big stage presence and also create this really inspiring character that just takes over the entire atmosphere of the stage?” Marina Toybina said. “We ended up with this incredible White Tiger Egyptian god of all gods.”
“God of all gods” is a huge shoe to fill, no doubt, but Gronk’s career and persona do fit Toybina’s description. Football could definitely be described as a warrior sport with how aggressive and physically demanding it is, and Gronk is known for his energetic and larger-than-life personality.
On Sunday’s premiere, White Tiger rapped Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby,” which sounded just like when Gronk rapped on The Late Late Show With James Corden’s “Drop the Mic” segment. The last nail in the coffin was his enormous stature at 6’6″ (he appeared way taller next to 6’0” host Nick Cannon), and the fact that in the clue package White Tiger said he’s a “big ole scaredy cat” on stage, meaning that he’s not a professional performer. Boom, it’s Gronk.
Who is Turtle?
We think it’s Jesse McCartney underneath the hard-rock shell of Turtle. The surfboard in the clue package might be a nod to his 2005 Teen Choice Award, which comes in the form of surfboards, but more likely a reference to the teen drama series Summerland, which starred McCartney and even featured the actor surfing on the show.
Turtle mentioned in the clue package competing with others for “the dream,” and seeing many of those stars “fizzle out.” As a former teen heartthrob, it would make sense that McCartney was surrounded by other stars who couldn’t parlay early success into a long career. References to the dream could also be explained by McCartney’s time in the boy band Dream Street, while the “step by step” line is the famous New Kids on the Block song. McCartney once opened for NKOTB, plus he had a song on the Step Up 3D soundtrack. He also put out a song called “Runnin,” which is a nice tie-in to the clue package’s track and field theme.
McCartney is 5’9″ and on stage Turtle seemed shorter than Cannon. Lastly, Turtle’s voice sounded just like McCartney. Don’t believe us? Just listen to “Beautiful Soul” (as if we needed an excuse to blast this classic bop).
Leon Bennett/Getty Images; Michael Becker / FOX; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Who is Llama?
We could not be more positive that Drew Carey is under the Llama mask. There are about a thousand hints pointing to the comedian, but we’ll break down the most important ones. Right off the bat in the clue package, Llama says “Mi mi mi mi mix it up,” and The Drew Carey Show had a main character named Mimi Bobeck, played by Kathy Kinney.
Then the clues showed a radio station called 23.3 The Wool. There were 233 episodes of The Drew Carey Show, which ended in 2004. Carey’s birthday is also the 23rd of May. Additionally, he hosts a weekly rock program on Sirius XM’s “Underground Garage” show.
The “have a laugh” and “what’s funnier than a llama” hints mean Llama is likely a comedian, which builds our case. Then, a green Buddha statue was shown, and guess what? Carey is a Buddhist. A jack and an ace of spades were later flashed on screen, and The Price Is Right host has competed in celebrity poker tournaments. An album called “Sounds of Seattle” was also displayed, which could be a nod to Carey’s part ownership of the Seattle Sounders FC. And finally, have you noticed that Llama sported a camera around his neck? Carey is an avid photographer and he’s even been seen on the sidelines of U.S. National Team soccer games as a press photographer.
UPDATE: Llama was unmasked during episode 2. See if we were right with our guess.
Who is Miss Monster?
Miss Monster’s voice? That’s absolutely Chaka Khan. Fans have mentioned Tina Turner as another possibility, but there’s no denying the contestant’s vocals sounded just like the Queen of Funk’s. A lot of hair products were also shown, and Khan has her own wig line. There was also a key with a keychain that said “fun” so fun-key as in funky, get it? The clue package took place in a school, with Miss Monster’s locker being No. 10. Khan has 10 Grammy Awards and is a legendary singer, which explains the “Monster Hits” sticker as well.
Miss Monster has been playing up a cute crush on season 1’s Monster, but we’re less sure about Khan’s connection to the man inside that mask, T-Pain, although she did present him with a BET Award in 2009. Maybe there were sparks?
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Last season, many fans believed Flower sounded just like Patti LaBelle but weren’t convinced someone of her level would compete on the show. Lo and behold, it was LaBelle under the mask, which means we can’t use that same line of logic for season 3. It could very well be acclaimed singer Chaka Khan under the Miss Monster costume.
UPDATE: Miss Monster was unmasked during episode 3. See if we were right with our guess.
Who is Kangaroo?
Kangaroo was the hardest one to guess, by far. There’s one person that fits all the clues, yet we’ve never heard her sing — Jordyn Woods. In the clue package, Kangaroo said she was a “survivor” who “recently lost a person who held my family’s heart together. Then, by my own admission, I found myself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons,” she said, as paparazzi snapped photos of her. Finally, an old school gramophone was shown, and Kangaroo stated “I have to fight for my family and show them that bullies never win.”
Woods lost her father in 2017. He was a sound engineer (explaining the gramophone image). She found herself in the public eye last year when it was reported she kissed Tristan Thompson, the boyfriend of Khloé Kardashian, who is the sister of Kylie Jenner, Woods’ then-best friend. She caught a lot of flak for the incident, which fits the “spotlight for all the wrong reasons” and “bullies” hints. (Woods said she was “bullied by the world” in the aftermath of the cheating scandal.)
Who is Frog?
Frog is totally Bow Wow. First of all, his height and the fact that he’s a rapper already makes him a possibility.
Then, in Frog’s first clues package, we saw a brown paper bag with the word “leftovers” on it, and the rapper’s second album was titled Doggy Bag. The 1996 Olympics clue probably was a reference to Atlanta, which hosted the games that year and it’s also where Bow Wow is based. The cash in the package also added up to $106, and guess what — Bow Wow used to host BET’s 106 & Park music video show. In his second episode, Frog was shown in front of a typewriter with the letters C, S, and I highlighted. Bow Wow starred in CSI: Cyber under his given name, Shad Moss, until the show’s cancelation in 2016. There was a book titled Fame pictured next to a price tag of $19.00; we tried to dig into the number’s significance, but it seems to just be a reference to Bow Wow’s 2006 album The Price of Fame.
In his third episode, when one of Frog’s “team members” talked him up, we saw a bow tie (Bow wow — of course). On stage, Frog presented guest panelist T-Pain with a friendship bracelet that read “All we do is win.” We think that’s less a reference to DJ Khaled’s song with T-Pain and more about how the season 1 winner and Bow Wow have worked together numerous times.
Who is Banana?
Banana was a tough one to peel. We got hints leaning toward Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and even Larry the Cable Guy, but ultimately Poison frontman Bret Michaels matched the clues the best. Banana’s first clue package mentioned a blue collar and him being a partier. Then, in the second clue video, there were references to television shows and even an image of a snake. During the March 4 episode, we saw Banana’s two relatives (likely his daughters) talk about him. His bonus clue involved laundry, and on stage he mentioned his dad passed away recently.
As the saying goes, all roads lead to Bret Michaels. The rocker has a pet line (a.k.a. the “blue collar” hint) and is known for enjoying a celebration or two. He starred in his own reality show, Rock of Love, and the snake could be venomous, which is where Poison comes in. He has two daughters and lost his own father last year. And that bonus clue? Michaels penned Poison’s famous hit “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” in a laundromat.
UPDATE: Banana was sent home in the second smackdown episode. Did we nail who the slippery singer was?
Who is Kitty?
Of the Group B contestants, Kitty perplexed us the most, but EW’s Lauren Huff stepped in to solve the case. Fans’ and panelists’ guesses ranged from Sarah Hyland to Jennifer Love Hewitt, but in the end, we think it’s a different pint-sized star under that kitten mask: Jackie Evancho (she’s reportedly 5’1”!). The 19-year-old singer, who has released a platinum-selling EP and eight albums (three of which were Billboard 200 top 10 debuts), sang the national anthem at a Pittsburgh Pirates game, which explains the pirates reference in her first clue package. Kitty also said she felt at home on The Masked Singer, and Evancho previously was on America’s Got Talent, so she’s an old hat when it comes to singing competitions.
She played Little Red Riding Hood in a play she was younger, and she loves sewing (which is one of Kitty’s favorite activities). She's also talked about being inspired to become a singer after watching the 2004 film version of Phantom of the Opera, and even included her own rendition of that musical’s “Think of Me” on one of her albums. There was a shattered rose in Kitty's first clue package and a rose plays an important role at the end of the film as well as on the play's iconic imagery of a rose next to an ahem mask. (She was also featured on Jumaane Smith’s version of “La Vie en Rose,” which could also tie in.) Additionally, Evancho has put out more than one Christmas album, and there were a string of Christmas lights shown in her third clue package.
Still not convinced? In episode 6, she gave her friendship bracelet to panelist Robin Thicke. On it was the word “Fireworks.” “I gave this to you because the first time we met was lit,” she said. Turns out, she performed with Thicke at the Grove Christmas Tree lighting and fireworks show in Los Angeles in 2011. Lit? Check. Fireworks? Check. We rest our case.
Who is Astronaut?
We wrote up a whole article about why Astronaut is country crooner Hunter Hayes. Some of the biggest giveaways include the Guinness World Record clue, Astronaut's distinct singing voice, and, like the spaceman, Hayes started his career at a young age.
There were also a couple of quirky hints that led to Hayes: the floating skeleton foot was a nod to the musician recording a song for the 2011 Footloose remake. Then there was Astronaut saying he had help from a member of an "organized crime family." Apparently, when Hayes was only 6 years old, he met The Godfather star Robert Duvall, who gave him his first guitar.
UPDATE: Astronaut was axed in the Battle of the Sixes. Find out if he really was Hayes or not.
Who is T-Rex?
EW thinks T-Rex is JoJo Siwa, a YouTuber known for her affinity for pink, her fast-talking ways, and appearing on Dance Moms. There was lots of pink imagery in T-Rex's first clue package, plus a bow and arrow (like the bows that JoJo wears all the time), and even slime. The social star has posted numerous videos making slime, plus she signed with Nickelodeon and got slimed when performing at the Kids' Choice Awards.
Last and most importantly, we just can't imagine anyone else with that much energy besides Siwa. T-Rex ran and kicked up a storm on stage in her two performances, so we're pretty sure it's Siwa. Read the full post here.
Who is Night Angel?
Night Angel, who might have the spookiest costume yet this season, is definitely singer, songwriter, and Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss! The gangster grandmas in Night Angel's first clue package were a huge help in narrowing it down to Burruss. She owns restaurants called Old Lady Gang in the Atlanta area. One is located in Castleberry Hill, which was referenced with the images of a castle and a strawberry in Night Angel's second clue package.
Other hints were the duck bills in her first package, which were a nod to Burruss' impressive feat co-writing the Destiny's Child hit song "Bills, Bills, Bills."
In the clip from Night Angel's second appearance on Wednesday, we also saw a sweet tea pitcher and the contestant saying she was building "an empire." Burruss is from the South, a region famous for loving sweet tea. And aside from her restaurants, Burruss also has a cosmetics line and a sex toy company, so that fits in with building a business empire.
Who is Rhino?
Former Oakland Athletics pitcher Barry Zito may not be a name you've heard in a while, but that might be about to change since we're sure he's Rhino on the show.
Besides baseball, music is Zito's other passion and he plays guitar and even released an EP in 2017. He once played for the Nashville Sounds, and co-wrote and sang the team's theme song, so the Grand Ole Opry guitar in Nashville in the clues package was likely a nod to his time in the city. There were also butterflies seen in the clip, and Zito co-wrote the song "Butterflies" that was used in Eddie Murphy's movie A Thousand Words.
On stage, Rhino said "performing for a king" was in his blood. Funny enough, Zito's parents worked with Nat King Cole, composing music for and singing with the legendary artist.
There were also clues about addiction, being the "toast of the town" before crashing and burning, and the word "faith." In his memoir, Zito talked about what it was like to be the highest-paid pitcher in the MLB by signing with the San Francisco Giants (there was also a "gentle giant" clue in the package), only to be benched at the World Series. He also got honest in the book about struggling with addiction and later finding salvation in religion.
In his second appearance on Wednesday, Rhino called his wife his "guardian angel," and Zito has similarly talked about heeding his wife's life advice. The diamond ring clue was probably a reference to his time on the diamond as a pitcher.
UPDATE: Rhino didn't make it to the top three and was eliminated. Discover if EW cracked this tough case.
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