‘The Masked Singer’ Reveals Identity of the Hibiscus: Here’s the Celebrity Under the Costume
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 10, Episode 7 of “The Masked Singer,” “One-Hit Wonders Night,” which aired Nov. 8 on Fox.
Money can’t buy you class, but “The Masked Singer” can buy you some well-timed publicity. Just days after she was seen at this year’s BravoCon, original “The Real Housewives of New York City” star and cabaret singer Luann de Lesseps — aka the “Countess” — was revealed on Wednesday as the latest celebrity to participate in Season 10 of “The Masked Singer.”
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De Lesseps was revealed to be Hibiscus, after performing “It’s Raining Men,” by The Weather Girls.
“I loved the idea of a challenge,” she told Variety. “To perform with a mask on that you can’t see very well.. I put that mask on and was like, ‘oh my god, this is so claustrophobic.’ The challenge was really to be able to sing, hold the mic in the right place, not trip over any dancers, because you have no peripheral vision. And then getting through doorways with my enormous flower petals. But I must say, they did such a great job on that costume. I loved that I was this beautiful flower.”
Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg got it right with Luann de Lesseps. Ken Jeong picked Kim Cattrall. Robin Thicke named Janice Dickinson. Nicole Scherzinger went with Hannah Waddingham.
“Jenny and I go way back so she knows a lot of things about me, like that I was a nurse,” de Lesseps said. “I was a little concerned because I have people tell me I have a voice that’s very recognizable. In fact, sometimes fans they won’t even see me, they’ll hear me speaking and they’re like, ‘oh my god, it’s you! I can tell from your voice!’”
The two singers with the least number of votes, facing off in a smackdown to determine who would be unmasked, were Hibiscus and Anteater. The two contestants sang their own take on “Hey Mickey,” by Toni Basil. Anteater moved on to next week, while Hibiscus was unmasked.
Had she continued on, De Lesseps said she was planning to sing “ABC” by the Jackson 5 next time.
“I really loved the idea of expanding my audience on a national level, on a show like ‘The Masked Singer,’” she said. “The more exposure I get on a show like this, the better. I want people to see me outside of the ‘Housewives’ and what they know me for, and see that I do have the chops to perform — when most people question that sometimes. I always say people coming to my cabaret show, they don’t know what to expect. They come in a Toyota and they drive out in a Rolls Royce. Because I really put on a great show and I put a lot of work into it.
“I don’t think people understand that about me that I’m really someone who produces my own music and my own show,” she added. “Even on ‘Housewives,’ we produce our own segment on the series. With producers, of course, and their help. But it’s really about our lives. So I really thrilled to have the opportunity for people to see me in a different light.”
De Lesseps is kicking off a new tour next year, “Marry, F, Kill,” including a Feb. 16 date in Los Angeles at the Wiltern.
Luann de Lesseps as Hibiscus joins Tyler Posey as Hawk, Billie Jean King as Royal Hen, Michael Rapaport as Pickle, Tom Sandoval as Diver, Anthony Anderson as Rubber Ducky and one-time special guest Demi Lovato as Anonymouse as the Season 10 unmasked celebrities so far.
This was week one of Group C. (The Group A Finals will include S’more, Cow and Gazelle, while the Group B Finals will feature Tiki, Husky and Sea Queen.)
“The Masked Singer” features a new format this season, with three groups followed by Battle Royale semi-final episodes. The season also includes the return of Wild Card contestants, with one Wild Card introduced to each group, and the “Ding Dong Keep It On Bell” is back in the Battle Royale semi-final episodes, where the judges can choose to save one contestant from elimination and move them directly to the finale.
With sixteen total celebrity singers, Season 10 features new costumes including “Donut,” “Anteater,” “Hawk,” “Hibiscus,” “Diver,” “Gazelle,” “Royal Hen,” “Husky,” “Tiki,” “Pickle,” “Rubber Ducky,” “Candelabra,” “Cow,” “Sea Queen,” “Anonymouse” and a life-size “S’More.” Also returning to mark the show’s 10th are celebrities who have been previously unmasked since the show began. According to the show, Season 10 contestants “boast a combined 40 medals, 33 Grammy nominations, seven hall of fame awards, three lifetime achievement awards and over 50 tattoos.”
The season’s themed episodes will include a tribute to Elton John; a “Trolls Night” tied to the November release of DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls Band Together”; a “Harry Potter Night” airing the week of Halloween; “NFL Night”; “One Hit Wonders”; “Disco”; “2000s Night”; “I Wanna Rock”; and “Soundtrack of My Life.” Back for Season 10 are host Nick Cannon, alongside panelists Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke.
Here were the other performances on this week’s episode:
Donut
Song: “Hooked on a Feeling,” by Blue Suede
Panel guesses: Sylvester Stallone, Jeff Bridges, Tom Jones
Karaoke one-hit-wonder clue: “How Bizarre.” “You know what’s bizarre? Me on one-hit wonder night. Because just like Rocky, I’ve got hit after hit after hit.”
Package voiceover: “I’ve been really lucky in my career. I was part of a mega-hit that catapulted me to No. 1. It also put me in a box and people only associated me with this one rough and tough flavor. But I’m actually a well-rounded donut. And it was my more refined side that helped this country boy get out of Dodge. Yes, since I’ve been young I’ve been a connoisseur of the theater from Chicago to 42nd Street. I’ve been known to pour my heart into a song or two. After the toughest year of my life, getting back to my roots is exactly what I need right now. There is nothing more healing than a stage and a song. And tonight I am feeling so grateful I get to share my whole heart with you all. It’s going to be sweet!”
Hibiscus
Song: “It’s Raining Men,” by The Weather Girls
Panel guesses: Kim Zolziak, Luann de Lesseps, Bonnie Hunt, Janice Dickinson
Karaoke one-hit-wonder clue: “I’m Too Sexy.” “I’ve been in a couple of beauty pageants and I’ve also worn a tiara.”
Package voiceover: “My life has been part fairy tale, part soap opera, and part comedy of errors. Emphasis on the comedy. My love of the stage stems from childhood. I grew up in a large family and had to compete for attention. Which led to my love of performing, where I got all the attention I craved. I was a total late bloomer who, after a hospital stint, became a sexy flower in the big city. I was approached in a café and told I look like Sharon Stone. From there, I hobnobbed with royalty. Everyone from David Bowie to Sir Elton John. And eventually I blossomed into who I am today. Minus a few pitfalls, falling outs and a husband or two. But at the heart of it all, performing is my soul. And now, this flower is ready to get a little dirty.”
Anteater
Song: “Walking in Memphis,: by Mark Cohn
Panel guesses: Rick Springfield, John Mellencamp, Bryan Adams
Karaoke one-hit-wonder clue: “Somebody’s Watching Me.” “There was a time where I performed in front of 40% of the entire world.”
Package voiceover: “I’ve had a long career, but I’ve had to learn the hard way, that fame isn’t everything. Sure, it got me the houses, the sports cars, rocking on the yachts with the glitterati. But in spite of my success, fame took its toll and I fell into some bad business deals. My personal life was a mess, and worst of all, I lost my sense of self. All the signs were telling me I had to get away and take it easy. So I traded the fancy houses for a chicken coop. And my entourage became a donkey named Jasper. I built my dream home, I even found my true love and started a family. If there’s one thing I learned, life is about redefining yourself. Sometimes you gotta lose it all to gain everything.”
Candelabra
Song: “1 Thing,” by Amerie
Panel guesses: Regina Hall, Brandy, Anika Noni Rose
Karaoke one-hit-wonder clue: “Two Princes.” “Listen, who needs two princes when you have one fire princess?”
Package voiceover: “From a young age, I always had a fire burning inside of me to achieve my wildest dreams. At just 12 years old, sitting up in my room, I caught a performance from my hometown, begging them for a chance to be on stage. Finally, my career ignited. But that never slowed my hustle. I had to continue to fight hard to keep my flame going. You could say I was burning the candle at both ends. And I reaped the rewards of my hard work with fans all over the world. And plenty of accolades. I’m proud of where my drive has taken me but now I’m looking for a place to let loose. And the Masked Singer seems like the perfect place to have fun. And with this fire, the golden mask is mine.”
“The Masked Singer” is produced by Fox Alternative Entertainment, with James Breen (who is also showrunner), Craig Plestis and Cannon as executive producers.
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