The Masked Singer 's Beetle is already crafting his apology for being on the show: 'I'm the anti-Trump'
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Warning: This article contains spoilers from Wednesday's episode of The Masked Singer.
The Muppets invaded The Masked Singer stage this week, in one of the sweetest episodes yet of the disguised celeb singing show.
Kermit the Frog made his return to the series after previously competing as the Snail on season 5. Everyone's favorite frog kicked off the episode with a performance of "Rainbow Connection," for which he was joined by panelists Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, and Robin Thicke, as well as host Nick Cannon. Kermit could be seen on stage throughout the episode, interacting with the performers.
But because this is Muppets Night and not Kermit Night, several other Muppets appeared throughout the episode, with Miss Piggy serving as a guest judge and Fozzie Bear acting as a backstage correspondent.
This week, two new competitors — the Beetle and the Lambs — were assigned to face off against last week's winner, Robo Girl. In keeping with the theme, every performance had to have some connection to the Muppets. As such, Beetle sang Frank Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight," Robo Girl sang "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, and the Lambs brought their harmonies to Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold."
Unfortunately, the competition was fierce and poor Beetle was chosen to buzz off first. This was another good week for the panelists, who, for the most part, have really upped their game this season. Scherzinger hilariously went with Rowan Atkinson, Miss Piggy stuck with John Larroquette, and Jeong guessed Mike Myers — but it was McCarthy-Wahlberg and Thicke who correctly guessed that the well-dressed insect was none other than TV personality Jerry Springer.
With the Beetle gone, it was time for this week's Battle Royale showdown between Robo Girl and the Lambs, who each gave their take on Blondie's "Call Me." In somewhat of a shocker, the reigning champ, Robo Girl, was sent home, which marks the first time this season that such an elimination has occurred, since Harp dominated the season's first round of episodes.
The panelists didn't fare as well here, with their guesses being so all over the place that Miss Piggy just flat out guessed herself (hey, there is precedence for a Muppet being on the show!). In the end, Robo Girl was revealed to be singer and The Vampire Diaries actress Kat Graham, and with that, the Lambs move ahead to next week.
Ahead of the reveals, EW caught up with Springer to talk about his time on the show, why he felt he was a "filler," who his favorite Muppet is, and why he's had "the luckiest life imaginable."
Michael Becker / FOX Beetle performs on 'The Masked Singer' season 8
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Thanks for stopping by The Masked Singer! Were you sad to leave early?
JERRY SPRINGER: The way I looked at it is, when I listened to and watched the other two acts on the episode I was on, what came to my mind is at the Academy Awards, when they have all the celebrities sitting in the audience, and then one of the celebrities has to go to the bathroom, they have these people they call fillers that sit in their seats. I felt like I was the filler. Because the other two acts were so talented. And I mean, really good. It dawned on me probably that if you're producing the show, you get two really good acts, because if you get three really good acts, you're not gonna want to waste [someone]. So I was the filler, they gotta fill an hour, put someone on there that will safely leave. That's what I felt I was, but it was so much fun. I don't have a complaint in the world about it. Everyone there is so nice. And they're so talented. I mean, gosh, the people that work on the costumes. The show comes across as totally fun, which it is, but that hides the fact that the work they do to make it so is really impressive. It was very impressive. I had this wonderful coach, who probably was saying, "How did I wind up coaching him?" Amy was her name, and she was excellent. She got me through the song.
What was your reaction when they called you to do the show?
Well, I'm semi-retired now. So, my reaction was, have they ever heard me sing? And who is this anyway? But I thought about it for a couple of days. I don't think I said yes right away, but I thought about it a couple of days. And why not? It's just fun. I thought my grandson would get a great kick out of this, as well as the rest of the family as soon as I could tell them — and I told them last night so now they know. But that was it. I mean, there's no strategy to it. I'm not trying to build a career or anything, because this would be a career ender, anyway. My dad used to tell me be careful what the last thing you're going to be remembered for is. So if it's this appearance, if this is how it ends… [Laughs] But it wasn't actually a hard decision at all. And then I said I couldn't think of a reason not to do it. It was just fun. I had the time to do it. And as I said, it was just a couple of days, and everyone was just as nice as could be.
What was the hardest part for you?
The most difficult part truthfully was wearing the costume. And singing and moving around on the stage, because I couldn't see very well out of the costume. It was this big head and it kept moving. So it wasn't always where my eyes were. And I was worried not only trying to remember the words of the song, because even when they put it on a prompter, I couldn't see the prompter because I couldn't see through the costume. So, I'm thinking please don't trip or fall off the stage, whatever. So there's a lot of things going through your mind while you're performing. That was really the struggle. The rest was, I thought I would carry the tune but no one's gonna be voting for me because I don't have a great voice. But it was just fun to do.
Tell me about Muppets Night. When did they tell you about it?
Oh, that was a couple of weeks before because you've got to figure out what song you're going to sing. I'm 78, so I grew up in the era of the ballads of Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, etc. And then the early days of rock and roll. So, it's not what today's music is. The list I gave them was not a list where they said right away, "Oh, great!" In fact, I said I prefer to do ballads. That's the music I like. So they did come up with "The Way You Look Tonight," and I learned it, and they told me then that the theme is going to be the Muppets. And that would mean either you have something to do with the Muppets, or the song you're singing was sung by someone who was on the Muppets. That's how the connection was. And apparently a number of the people that sing "The Way You Look Tonight" appeared on The Muppets over its long history. And so that was the excuse I got to be able to do a ballad — but that's when I found out, when they were going over the songs.
In the spirit of Muppets week, who is your favorite Muppet and why?
Well, I've got something going on with Kermit. I kind of like Miss Piggy, because for once I wasn't the biggest pig on the show. But, Kermit and me, we just hit it off. It was just, it was clear. My eyes were tearing.
Gary Gershoff/Getty Images Jerry Springer
You've done so many things over your career, and now you can add The Masked Singer to that list. What do you want to do next?
Breathing. [Laughs] Every day I'm breathing, I say, "Okay, another good day." No, I've had the luckiest life imaginable. And I've had all these great jobs. And it'd be arrogant for me to say, "I want this." I'm not entitled to anything more. So, you know, when opportunities come when people ask, "Would you appear on this show? Or do that?" It either has to be fun, or it has to be important. You know, if it's political, I'll do it, because I think that's important. If it's show business, I'll do it because it's fun. And, really, that's it. There's no, "Gosh, I want to be able to do this" because I've had all those. I've had just wonderful jobs. How lucky can a guy get?
Are you going to get to watch tonight's reveal with your family?
Yeah, I'm required to by my family. They said, "If we've got to watch it, you've gotta watch it." Yeah, and I'm sure there'll be more interviews, and when I really see it… I'm writing my apology now. Any suggestions, for what I can put in it? I'm the anti-Trump, you know, I know how to apologize. [Laughs]
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
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