"The Masked Singer" returned with a legendary start.
The Feb. 15 season premiere of the celebrity singing competition introduced a brand new Masked Singer stage in front of the largest studio audience in the show's history. Even more importantly, it introduced three brand new mysterious celebrity singers.
First up, Mustang performed Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" following a clue package that included a soap bucket, barbells, a reference to Elvis and the fact that the celeb has "almost died more times than I can count."
Next, Gnome hit the stage and sang Billie Holiday's "When You're Smiling" after a clue package that featured umbrellas, a trophy with Tony Danza's face on it and the knowledge that the celeb — who stayed stationary for his entire performance — has worked with Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Madonna.
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Medusa performed last, singing an energetic version of Billie Eilish's "Happier Than Ever" preceded by clues that included a picture of Buckingham Palace, a reference to the Super Bowl and the fact that Medusa has "been here before."
After the three performed, it was time for the first elimination of the season. With the three celebs in a semi-circle around host Nick Cannon, he revealed that Gnome was the season's first unmasking.
The cute creature was revealed to be none other than 97-year-old icon Dick Van Dyke, the star of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Mary Poppins."
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"The Masked Singer" panel was stunned to see the legendary actor, especially panelist Nicole Scherzinger, who burst into tears.
"The world loves you so much," Scherzinger, told Van Dyke. "It's an honor to have you on this show. I can't believe you're here."
With the Gnome gone, Mustang and Medusa were left to compete in the Battle Royale. Both singers put their unique spin on Rihanna's "Diamonds," with Medusa ultimately prevailing.
Mustang was unmasked as country music singer Sara Evans. As for her clue about "almost" dying multiple times, Evans was hit by a car when she was 8 years old, which she detailed in her 2020 memoir "Born to Fly."
"My mom told me that when the car struck me, I landed 80 feet off the road," she wrote. "When they found me, I was curled up in a ball with my left leg mangled and twisted and almost severed in two. They all thought I was dead."
"The Masked Singer" returns for ABBA Week on Feb. 22 at 8 p.m. on Fox.
