'The Masked Singer': All the reasons we think we've identified the final three contestants
Spoiler alert! We've done a lot of digging and suspect we've identified the remaining celebrity contestants on "The Masked Singer." Do not proceed if you'd like to keep the mysteries alive.
Calling all "Masked Singer" sleuths. From 16 contestants, only a tenacious trio remains in the second season of Fox's competition show: Rottweiler, Fox and Flamingo all have evaded elimination and unmasking.
In anticipation of Wednesday's two-hour finale (8 EST/PST), we've tirelessly combed through the clue packages to come up with our best guesses for the celebrities still in the game.
Here's who (we're pretty confident) is beneath those disguises.
Rottweiler: Chris Daughtry
This dogged contestant attributed his fame to a competition, and Daughtry, 39, competed on Season 5 of "American Idol" in 2006.
"Being a hungry competitor is actually how I rose to fame," he said. "It happened almost overnight."
Rottweiler also mentioned playing football, which Daughtry did as a teen. Lastly, a bouquet of blue roses appeared in the package, and the "It's Not Over" singer shared with Instagram followers last year that he had covered a cross tattoo, in part, with a blue rose.
"I've been judged from the moment I entered the game," said Rottweiler, seemingly alluding to his "Idol" days. Rottweiler also delighted in the idea of "succeeding on my own," and Daughtry is a part of the band that derives its name from his surname.
'Masked Singer': Victor Oladipo on his time as Thingamajig, date with Nicole Scherzinger
'Masked Singer' Episode 11 recap: A double reveal in the semi-finals identifies singer Seal, NBA's Victor Oladipo
"I didn't take the conventional route to stardom," Rottweiler said, as he appeared to sell vacuums, a gig Daughtry also had.
A North Carolina flag appeared to be an homage to Daughtry's birthplace. .
A mouthpiece with the word "platinum" on it appeared, and Daughtry has music that has gone platinum. A calendar with the month "September" circled was shown, which happens to be the title of a song Daughtry released in 2009.
Rottweiler described himself as a "zen dog," perhaps something he has in common with Daughtry, who shared a namaste Bitmoji with Instagram followers last Dec. 26.
A present to Cadence was shown in the clue package, the name of another band Daughtry was in.
'The Masked Singer' Episode 10 recap: 'SNL' alum Ana Gasteyer revealed as Tree ahead of semifinals
'The Masked Singer' Episode 9 recap: Butterfly's wings are clipped in competition
Fox: Wayne Brady
"I dabbled in many different genres, from Doogie to Doubtfire," Fox said. "I've laughed with them all."
Brady, 47, portrayed "Doogie Howser, M.D." star Neil Patrick Harris' brother on CBS comedy "How I Met Your Mother" and shared a stage with "Mrs. Doubtfire" star Robin Williams on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
Fox shared with viewers that he was picked on in his younger days.
"I grew up in a rough patch in the woods. The other fox cubs weren't so nice, and that did a strange thing to my bark," said Fox. In 2013, Brady spoke to CBS News about his childhood stutter and being bullied.
"It was bad enough to where I really did not want to talk to too many people, because I would get so worked up," Brady said. "Either you break under that pressure as a kid, 'cause bullying is no joke, or you learn to take it and give it back, and do it in a way that gets a positive response."
Fox said that while he's had a 30-year career, he's "mostly known for being part of a pack of talented fellas," possibly a reference to his "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" co-stars, Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles.
Fox was shown in his clue package, once again, with a cub, and Brady has one daughter, Maile Masako Brady, 16. Another nod to improv was a sign bearing the improv principle "Yes, and."
Fox borrowed lyrics from Lenny Kravitz's "Fly Away," which may be a reference to the early '90s TV series, "I'll Fly Away," on which Brady appeared.
The name "Richard" appeared onscreen in small letters, which could be a nod to Brady's portrayal of Little Richard on BET's "American Soul."
Flamingo: Adrienne Bailon
Flamingo references her "ZooTube" channel, a play on a YouTube channel, which Adrienne Bailon has.
Flamingo told viewers "I'm gonna let you in on all my tips and tricks from beauty to fashion to life advice." Compare that to the description of a video posted to Bailon's channel: "Adrienne Houghton shares her tips and tricks on all things beauty, fashion, home decor, entertaining, and even more in this brand new show."
The contestant referred to herself as a "chica," and Bailon, who's Latina, speaks Spanish. Flamingo also described herself as a "triple threat," and Bailon is a singer/dancer, actress and talk-show host.
'The Masked Singer' Episode 8 recap: This singer has to leaf! Host, most of panel guessed star
'The Masked Singer' Episode 7 recap: A star is revealed, flies away from the competition
Flamingo revealed that "Years ago, I started hating the sound of my own voice..." an insecurity that Bailon has expressed. The former member of 3LW revealed on "The Real" that she backed away from singing because she was scared.
Teary-eyed, Bailon admitted: "I don't like the sound of my own voice."
This clue package again highlighted Flamingo's Latin heritage, featuring a mariachi band and decorations for a fiesta.
Clues were seemingly subtle in this package.
"My flam fam are like my sisters, sister," Flamingo shared, perhaps a nod to Bailon's "The Real" co-host Tamera Mowry-Housley, who acted in the '90s series "Sister, Sister."
Flamingo also said, “Against these other species, I’ve got to step up. Because this flamingo wants to keep flying. You feelin’ me?” Bailon, as a member of The Cheetah Girls, released a song called “Step Up,” in 2006. In 2000, 3LW released “Is You Feelin' Me.”
Dropping hints to viewers, Flamingo sang from a songbook titled "Naughty or Nice" and revealed she sang in her church choir. So did Bailon, who, with 3LW, released a Christmas album titled "Naughty or Nice" in 2002.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Masked Singer' final contestants: Are these the remaining stars?
