The Masked Singer season 12 kicked off with a bang last week when NFL icon John Elway was revealed as Leaf Sheep — but plenty more major unveilings are still to come.
In Us Weekly’s exclusive sneak peek of the Wednesday, October 2, episode, judges Robin Thicke and Rita Ora share their guesses for the identity of Ship, who stunned viewers last week with her rendition of “Pompeii” by Bastille.
“You’re, like, the hardest one for me,” Ora, 33, tells Ship in the clip. “Your vocals are so outstanding that it throws all of the clues out the window for me because I’m really listening to your vocals and your tone. … I’m like, ‘I know it, I know it,’ but I just don’t know it.”
Ora went on to say that the “incredible texture” in Ship’s voice reminds her of Kate Bush, but the “Hounds of Love” singer, 66, isn’t her final guess.
“The raven makes me think of a cover, one of my favorite covers of ‘Blackbird’ sung by Sarah McLachlan,” Ora explains. “So I was like, ‘Could it be Sarah McLachlan?’”
Sarah McLachlan Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images
Jenny McCarthy, however, isn’t on board, because if it were McLachlan, 56, then “there would be sad puppies in the clue package.” (McCarthy, 51, was referring to McLachlan’s famous ASPCA ads against animal cruelty.)
Thicke, 47, likes Ora’s guess, noting that he “originally” thought McLachlan was under the Ship mask. “When I’m thinking of the vocals and I’m thinking of these connections I think of names like Amy Grant,” the “Blurred Lines” singer says. “And the cowboy boots. Wasn’t she wearing cowboy boots in her famous ‘Baby, Baby’ video? I believe so, yeah, so I’m remembering that. But I’m sorry, the piano changes everything. I agree with you, Rita, that’s Sarah McLachlan.”
Who is that? It’s the question asked by panelists on The Masked Singer multiple times in each episode, and the answer is: everybody. Since the show debuted in January 2019, the celebrity contestants have included Joey Fatone, Michelle Williams, Tori Spelling, Mickey Rourke, Patti LaBelle, Kelly Osbourne, Bret Michaels, Lil Wayne, Jordyn Woods, Wendy Williams, […]
Last week, Ship’s first clue package was introduced by Jewel, who won season 6 of The Masked Singer as Queen of Hearts. The “Foolish Games” singer, 50, noted that she’s “always had a great relationship” with Ship.
“I know how quickly the tides can change from angry to serene on a dime, and my life has been the same,” Ship continued in her clue package. “My career set sail at a rapid clip. I had massive hits, made history, but I lost control. I became lost at sea, and at times felt totally forgotten. It’s taken me years to find my way back to shore, but I finally got the career I’ve always wanted, and that’s why being here is so scary, because once again I’m in uncharted waters.”
The judges previously guessed that Ship could be McLachlan, Cyndi Lauper, Joan Osborne and Enya.
The Masked Singer airs on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
