Original subtitles

This is a story of a world like no other...

where celebrities are transformed...

Now, this world is changing

in ways you'll never see coming.

Surprises around ever corner,

all to make you guess who's behind the mask.

But no one is safe.

‐ ‐ Aah!

Because we're introducing characters

so talented and so secret,

I can't even show them to you.

Meet the Wildcards.

And look over here.

A mask not here to sing,

but to disrupt the game completely.

Cluck‐a‐doodle clue!

‐ ♪ Oh ‐ Tonight, a world bigger...

‐ It's humongous! ‐ It's almost as big as my ego.

and crazier...

‐ Take it all off! ‐ You're on fire!

...and more star‐studded than ever.

Most famous guest on "The Masked Singer" ever."

‐ Ow! ‐ My God!

‐ Game‐changing season. ‐ Hang on.

The first game‐changer happens right now.

Whoo!

‐ ♪ Who are you? ‐Whoa!

‐ Hey, who is that? ‐ Nick.

‐ Oh, my God! ‐ Wait, what?

‐ That's not Nick Cannon! ‐ Whoo!

It's Niecy Nash!

That's Niecy Nash!

Whoa!

♪ You, you

‐ ♪ Who are you? ‐Oh, my God!

Looking like the queen she is.

‐ Wow. Ow! ‐ Hello!

‐Yeah! ‐ Oh, my God.

Step right up and welcome to the three‐ring circus

‐ known as "The Masked Singer." ‐ Yeah!

‐ Go on! ‐ They promised you game‐changers this season,

and you've got your first one.

A new guest host, me, Niecy Nash.

‐ Yes, Niecy Nash! ‐Yeah!

Nick Cannon, I'm sending you all the good vibes.

Hopefully we'll see you later this season.

And just for the record, Kenneth,

Nick gave me permission to tell you,

"Sit your butt down, Ken."

‐ But my butt was already‐‐ ‐ Buh‐buh‐buh.

‐ But my butt‐‐ but‐‐ ‐ Ah! Zip.

Yes, Mommy.

Now, let's say hi to the most glam detectives in all of TV.

There's my girl Nicole Scherzinger.

‐Scherzie! ‐ Love you, Niecy.

‐ Dr. Ken Jeong. ‐Hey.

‐ Robin Thicke. ‐ Whoo!

And please welcome

the winner of last season's Golden Ear trophy,

‐ Queen Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg. ‐Yeah!

‐Wow. ‐ Thank you. Thank you.

Queen Jenny.

All right, you guys, here's how the game works.

We've got famous people wearing crazy costumes.

They sing, we sniff out the clues,

then the panel and our many fans across America vote

and the singer with the lowest tally is forced to take it off.

‐ Take it‐‐ ‐ Nicole, but not in a nasty way.

‐ This is a family show. ‐ I got excited.

Now, tonight the battle for the Golden Mask trophy begins

as we meet our mysterious and talented Group A.

Now let's kick things off.

Arriving here overnight

from an entirely different continent,

please say hello to the Russian Doll.

‐ ‐ I'm excited.

Oh, my God! It's huge!

‐ They're humungous! ‐ You could fit a dozen Kens.

That is the greatest thing I've ever seen on "Masked Singer."

‐Oh, my God. ‐ Beautiful!

It's got rosy cheeks. Okay. and it's a little wooden.

‐ Wait, did you open your mouth, Russian Doll? ‐ Oh, my gosh!

Let's try to get to the center of who's under the Russian Doll.

Oh, oh. Hey, there. Sorry, I wasn't expecting you.

You see, I've been doing my own thing for quite some time.

Rewind to the beginning

when I was the world's hottest toy.

Mm, those were the days.

But I knew I was more than just

something to be toyed with, a puppet.

Ooh, she was controlled by somebody.

And as much as they tried to put me in a box,

I just didn't fit.

Newer, shinier, manufactured toys filled the shelves,

so I was cast to the side.

‐ A boat wheel. ‐ Like a helm of a boat.

And it was the best thing ever.

Turns out, I could still sell out

without being a total sell‐out.

And I'm ready to show there's even more beneath the surface.

You guys, this is our first performance for season five!

‐ Let's go. ‐ Yeah!

I'm so excited!

♪ I'm gonna make a change

♪ For once in my life

Oh, my God.

♪ It's gonna feel real good

♪ Gonna make a difference

♪ Gonna make it right

♪ A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top ♪

‐ ♪ And a one‐man soul ‐ Whoa!

Is that two voices?

♪ They follow each other on the wind, ya know ♪

♪ 'Cause they got nowhere to go ♪

♪ That's why I want you to know ♪

♪ I'm starting with the man in the mirror ♪

♪ And I'm asking him to change his ways ♪

♪ And no message could have been any clearer ♪

♪ If you want to make the world a better place ♪

♪ Take a look at yourself and make a change ♪

♪ I'm starting with the man in the mirror, oh, yeah ♪

♪ I'm asking him to change his ways ♪

♪ And no message could have been any clearer ♪

♪ If you want to make the world a better place ♪

♪ Take a look at yourself, and make a change ♪

♪ Gotta get it right while you got the time ♪

‐ ♪ You gotta ‐ ♪ You got

♪ You got to change, whoo

♪ Na‐na‐na, na‐na‐na na‐na‐na ♪

♪ Gotta make that change

‐ Whoo! ‐ Whoa.

‐ Wow! That was amazing. ‐ That was amazing.

It was a game‐changing season five premiere opener!

‐ Literally goosebumps all over. ‐ Right?

It was crazy. It was kind of so creepy, but so magical.

‐ Yeah. ‐ Yes!

I'm completely blown away.

I mean, the blend of the vocals was wonderful. Great job.

Y'all hear that?

All right, guys, now it's time

for the first impression guesses.

‐ I'm keeping this crown. ‐You know what?

I'm motivated, so I will prevail.

What are you guessing for first impression?

‐Hey, hey, hey. ‐ What?

Don't look at anybody else's paper.

‐ Okay, all right. ‐ That's how he became a doctor.

‐All right. ‐ Oh, my God.

Too much laughter, but go on.

So, drop your Russian Doll first impression guesses

into the Masked Singer tour bus,

and then we'll reveal them right before each unmasking.

Whichever one of you gets the most correct over the season

could win the Golden Ear trophy!

We're inside the car. Oh, my God!

‐ Nicole, your boobs are huge. ‐Let's not objectify the objects, all right?

The car is attacking Nicole.

‐ Oh, my God. ‐Yes, all right.

Time's up. Drop them in the tour bus, baby.

All right, Russian Doll,

which one of y'all is the one who makes the decisions?

Our ideas work very well together.

You see what our dynamic is now.

‐ Did she say dynamic? What our dynamic is now? ‐ Yeah.

Maybe it's a band that's reuniting.

I don't know what's‐‐ it's confusing me.

What I'm seeing isn't matching what I'm hearing.

‐Yeah. ‐ But I'll narrow it down a little bit.

Bench, it said country. Members of a country group.

‐ Yeah. ‐ Like Lady A. Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley.

‐ Thank you. ‐ Yeah.

And then Garden State Highway.

I heard someone say New Jersey, but it also goes into Philly.

This could be a Philly group like a Boyz II Men.

‐Maybe. ‐ Boyz II Dolls.

But honestly, Jenny has a good point because if you look

‐ at the size and structure of large doll... ‐ Thank you.

...there could be multiple people in it.

Someone could be sitting in a backpack

or a baby bjorn on their partner.

Now you're talking. I carry Ken in one of those.

All right, all right.

Let's not talk about our personal lives, all right?

Okay, so I think that this could be a singing cast.

‐ I'm with you. ‐ Maybe it's my girl Vanessa Hudgens

from "High School Musical"

or Darren Criss in "Glee," or even‐‐

‐ "Glee!" ‐ Right? Why? Breadsticks. Oh, I'm sorry.

What's the restaurant's name in "Glee"?

Breadsticks. Everyone knows that.

‐ Yeah, it was. ‐ I think it could be Matthew Morrison

‐ or Kevin McHale. Right?

‐ That's not bad. ‐What's a amazing about this visual spectacle

‐ is that the performance was outstanding. ‐ That's right.

So this has gotta be a professional recording artist.

Maybe this is Gwen Stefani. It could be.

‐ No. ‐ And this could be her guitarist Tom Dumont.

Tom doesn't really sound like that when he sings.

Tom sounds exactly like that.

And, little known fact, look it up,

they started out at a place with bottomless breadsticks.

So, I think this whole Russian Doll thing is bananas.

‐ B‐A‐N‐A‐N‐A‐S. ‐ Oh, my God.

‐ No Doubt. ‐ I'm gonna tell you something.

‐ That he's bananas. ‐ I'ma tell you something, Ken.

‐ Yeah, mama. ‐ When you started unpacking this...

‐ Yeah, yeah. ‐ I got tears in the corners of my eyes.

‐ Thank you so much. ‐ I was that proud mother who was gonna stand up and say,

"Look at my baby!"

But then the way you finished, all the wheels fall off of it,

and I said, well, no, I'm not gonna clap.

So, yeah, take it back down.

Thank you so much for that beautiful performance.

This is actually a game‐changing costume.

It literally can be anybody, and you can't just go

by appearance whatsoever or by body type.

‐ You can't do any of that. ‐ Yeah.

♪ Who is that?

Welcome back to "The Masked Singer" Group A premiere.

Now, next up, grab your remote and hit play

because we are letting loose the Snail.

‐ Bring it on, Snail! ‐ ♪ I want to break free

‐ Oh, my gosh. ‐ ♪ I want to break free

♪ I want to break free from your lies ♪

I feel like Alice in Wonderland.

Adorable. I'm in love with the Snail.

Oh, my goodness! The costume is adorable.

‐ Maybe it's a kid. ‐ 'Cause they're itty‐bitty.

Well, what Hollywood star dresses up as a little critter

that you would find in your circular driveway?

Watch this.

Here's Snail!

Thank you. Hiya, folks.

You know, I've acted, directed,

produced, recorded albums,

even graced the Oscars stage.

He's like the Johnny Carson of our times.

I've rubbed elbows with everyone from Robert De Niro

to Lady Gaga to Michelle Obama.

Teddy bear. Maybe Ted?

And while you might say I'm best known

for appreciating the talent of those around me,

Here, I want to show those harsh critics

that have followed me my whole career

that I can shine on my own, too, you know?

And now I can't wait to get out there and snail it. Get it?

♪ What I want, you've got, and it might be hard to handle ♪

♪ Like a flame that burns the candle ♪

♪ The candle feeds the flame

♪ Yeah, yeah, what I've got's full stock ♪

♪ Of thoughts and dreams that scatter ♪

♪ Then you pull them all together ♪

♪ And how, I can't explain

♪ Oh, yeah, well, 'cause you

I don't know!

♪ You make my dreams come true ♪

‐ ♪ Well, yeah ‐ Who is that?

♪ On a night when bad dreams become a screamer ♪

♪ When they're messing with the dreamer ♪

♪ I can laugh it in the face

♪ Twist and shout my way out and wrap yourself around me ♪

♪ 'Cause I ain't the way you found me ♪

♪ And I'll never be the same

♪ Oh, yeah, well, 'cause you ♪

♪ You make my dreams come true ♪

♪ Yeah, do

♪ I'm down to my daydreams

♪ All that sleepwalk should be over by now, I know ♪

♪ Well, you

♪ You make my, you make my

♪ You make my dreams come true ♪

‐ ♪ Do, do ‐ Yeah! Oh, wow!

‐ Snailed it! ‐ I don't recognize the voice

and it's gonna drive me crazy.

‐ All right! ‐ Yeah!

‐So cute. ‐ Great job.

That was a lot of fun. The costume is great.

Great song choice. One of my favorites.

I have a feeling that this person is throwing their voice a little bit.

‐ A little bit. ‐ They're adding a little extra of a twang or something.

‐ Disguising their voice. ‐ I don't know if we're getting the natural tone yet.

‐ I feel like he's pushing out Kermit the Frog sounds. ‐Yes.

‐ Look how adorable that is. ‐Oh, my God.

That's the cutest thing ever.

Absolutely.

All right, it's time for first impression guesses.

‐ Oh. ‐ Oh, no.

‐ ‐ ♪ On the road again

All right, you know what? Just enough of that.

‐ I know I'm not going to win. ‐ ♪ On the road again

♪ The life I love is making music with my friends ♪

Come on, Nicole. It's up to you.

‐ All right, you guys. ‐ Oh, I hate my guess.

Time is up. Drop it in the tour bus, baby.

All right, Snail, how are you feeling about all of this?

Oh, well, I'm here because I want the world to see that

even a snail can go anywhere if they put their mind to it

and if you don't mind waiting a long, long time.

We're used to it. We got Ken right here.

‐ Oh, yeah. ‐ Yeah.

That makes me think that he's a little bit older possibly.

‐ It's possible. ‐ I'm really going off of this host, director,

writer, producer.

I was getting a Jay Leno vibe from the voice.

‐ Huh. ‐ Did you get any of that?

But then I started thinking who else can do it all

and is a great singer

and is probably throwing their voice.

There was the bear for Ted.

There was the UFO for his show on Fox called "Orville."

I think it could be Seth MacFarlane.

‐Oh. ‐Seth is a good singer,

but I actually agree with Jay Leno

because Jay Leno plays himself in "Ted 2."

‐ That's right. ‐ But he would be a car for a costume.

I think that that's a swerve. 'Cause he'd normally be like,

Yeah, you're right, Jenny, I would drive a car,

but now I'm gonna be a snail.

Is that really how you think he would say that?

I workshopped that Jay Leno voice for nine months and‐‐

To give Ken a little more time to practice that voice,

I'm gonna come to you, Nicole.

Okay, so, there was also something about the Oscars.

I know he hosted the Oscars. Jimmy Kimmel.

‐ Jimmy Kimmel was in "Ted 2." ‐Wait, wait, wait.

Why wouldn't anybody think this is Mark Wahlberg? He was the star of "Ted."

Or it could be Adam Sandler.

Why? There was an eagle‐‐ golf term.

One of the best golf movies ever, "Happy Gilmore."

‐ Oh, that's‐‐ Nicole! ‐ And the treasure chest with all the gold

because he be making all that money from Netflix, honey.

Oh, my God, Nicole's in the flow here.

Nicole, you are in the zone, girl.

Let's go!

Well, we might not know who you are, but you definitely snailed your performance.

‐There‐‐ yeah. ‐You snailed it.

All right, you take all the time you need to head on out, okay?

‐ Aww, we love you, Snail. ‐ There we go.

Kinda looks like Ken in a tuxedo.

Okay, you know, I knew you would say that. How dare you?

All right, our singers and panel aren't the only ones competing this season.

All you fans at home are, too.

Download our Fox Super Six app.

Predict the outcome of tonight's episode and you can win big.

May the best Masked Singer fan win.

♪ Who is that?

♪ Who is that?

Welcome back to our big season five premiere of "The Masked Singer."

‐ Yeah! ‐ Now, before we get to the next performer,

♪ I have a little surprise for the panel ♪

‐ What? ‐ Nick left a gift for you guys to prepare for the season.

‐ Aww. ‐ Jenny, look under your chair.

Oh, my God, there is a present. Okay.

"A gift to keep you all from guessing the same old people.

If I hear Jamie Foxx or one of your other usual suspects, you put $50 in this."

It's like a swear jar, isn't it?

‐ $50? No. ‐Uh‐oh.

Jar Of Shame.

Bjork, Jamie Foxx,

Johnny Knoxville, and Lindsay Lohan.

‐ Yeah! ‐ Thanks, Nick Cannon.

All right, it's time we meet our next competitor.

We snatched him from the Malibu backyard of Robin Thicke.

‐ Uh‐oh. ‐ Please release the Seashell.

♪ Wish they all could be California girls ♪

Oh! Oh, my gosh. My daughter would love this.

♪ They all could be California girls ♪

♪ I wish they all could be California ♪

♪ I wish they all could be California ♪

I see some moves.

♪ California girls

♪ Wish they call could be

‐ Wow! What a way to make an entrance! ‐ Right?

‐Yeah. ‐ They say that every seashell has a story.

So let's sit back and enjoy this one.

We might just learn something.

When I was young, I was pulled by the tide

all around the world with my family.

Always adrift, I never felt grounded.

So I found my peace by the shore.

A chameleon. So she's had a ton of different roles maybe.

When my career took off,

it was like a massive tsunami of success.

But much like my childhood,

I still drifted, wearing many hats.

I often wonder if I found my true calling.

That's part of why I'm here.

A witch's broom. Someone who was in "Wicked"?

I'm nervous.

I haven't sang in a really long time,

but I want to face my fears.

And tonight, I hope you pick this shell for keeps.

Guys, she looks nervous. She's shaking.

♪ I know there's something in the wake of your smile ♪

♪ I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yeah ♪

♪ You've built a love, but that love falls apart ♪

♪ Your little piece of heaven turns to dark ♪

♪ Listen to your heart

♪ When he's calling for you

♪ Listen to your heart

♪ There's nothing else you can do ♪

♪ I don't know where you're going ♪

‐ ♪ And I don't know why ‐ She can sing!

♪ Before you tell him

♪ And there are voices that want to be heard ♪

‐ Oh, my God! ‐ Whoo, yes!

♪ So much to mention, but you can't find the words ♪

♪ When love was wilder

♪ Than the wind

♪ Take a listen to it

♪ I don't know where you're going ♪

♪ And I don't know why

♪ Listen to your heart

♪ Before

♪ Before you tell him good‐bye

‐ Whoo. ‐ Okay, Seashell.

Seashell! Seashell! Seashell!

‐ Beautiful! ‐I loved it.

You know, you seemed a little nervous at first,

but once you got started, you were in a groove...

‐ Exactly. ‐ ...and you killed it.

Yeah, absolutely.

Okay, it's time for the first impression guess.

‐ Oh, man. ‐ So, panel, write down

who you think this beautiful Seashell is.

Oh, my God! Jenny, you're so cute.

You got the moves, Seashell.

Thank you. Appreciate it.

Thank you. I'll see you next time.

Come on, baby got bosom. Thank you so much.

All right, I wanted to ask you, beautiful Seashell,

what brought you hear tonight?

Well, I've always wanted to sing on stage.

I used to way back in the day,

and I kind of stopped to pursue other careers.

‐ Mm. Mm. ‐Huh.

‐ This is helping my guess. ‐Okay.

You know, I'm just going by the clues.

I saw witch's broom.

I'm thinking this is an actress who's also done some singing

like Sarah Jessica Parker from "Hocus Pocus"

or Anne Hathaway from the recent movie "The Witches."

But I'm landing on Kristin Chenowith just 'cause the voice is so good.

‐Wow. ‐Yep.

‐So, yeah? ‐ Ken, that's not bad.

‐Great guess. ‐ Thank you. I appreciate that!

‐ My baby is over there doing a good job. ‐ Thank you, Mommy.

Using his head for more than a hat rack. I love it.

‐ Nicole? ‐ Okay, so I saw the cowboy hat

and I thought is this someone from Texas?

Who are some amazing celebs from Texas?

We've got Dakota Johnson, right? We've got Renée Zellweger.

‐ But do you know who I think it could be? ‐ Who?

I think it could be Hilary Duff.

‐ Oh! ‐ Break it down.

I want to hear how you got to the Duff of it all.

Okay, I'm sorry. 'Cause Hilary is from Texas.

Also, we all know Hilary Duff as Lizzie McGuire.

There was a chameleon. What's a chameleon?

‐ A lizard. ‐ I like that.

You said Texas and it reminded me of the Daisy Duke of it all.

‐ Could it be, like, a Jessica Simpson? ‐ Simpson.

That's where I was going to run towards, yeah.

I was going to run fast right there.

‐You go. ‐ But then who was also very successful young

and can sing, Jennifer Love Hewitt isn't a bad choice.

‐ Yes. She's from Texas. ‐ Oh, my God, Robin.

‐ That is an amazing guess, Robin. ‐Wow.

‐ Give me that seashell, baby. ‐ Oh, my God.

Your ideas are flowing like the wine that's spilled on your shirt.

I love your guesses, panel.

My beautiful Seashell, I'm going to invite you

to get on the road backstage, all right?

‐ Whoo! ‐ Give it up.

Yeah, Seashell!

Hello there. I'm Cluedle‐Doo, top secret celebrity sleuth.

I've hacked into the show and I'm here to change the game.

I'll be dropping special clues for you throughout the season the panel won't see,

and pointing out some they missed, like this one.

Oh, one more thing. Bet you can't guess who I am.

♪ Who is that?

Welcome back to the season five premiere

of "The Masked Singer."

‐ Game‐changing. ‐ So far, we've had some of the craziest costumes

in Masked Singer history.

But we found this creature

rummaging around a trash can on Hollywood Boulevard.

Hide your leftovers, people,

because we're unleashing the Raccoon.

‐Oh! ‐Oh, look at that.

Oh, my God!

Wow.

He's got a little bit of a grandpa walk.

He looks like my dad.

‐ ♪ Macho, macho man ‐ ♪ Macho man

Go off, Raccoon!

What celebrity chooses to dress up

as a rodent you can't trust with your lunch?

Hopefully, this will give you some ideas.

Oh, my gosh, yes.

Sometimes to get the happy ending, you have to go through hell first.

In my darkest days, I faced death.

‐ Oh. ‐ He's got some past.

Desperate to stay sane, I recited my favorite story,

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

Magnifying glass. "Magnum P. I." Maybe it's Tom Selleck.

I was Quasimodo, locked away.

Only difference is that he was innocent

and I was actually a monster.

I promised God that if I got a second chance in life,

I'd only do good,

and I'm still fulfilling that promise to this day.

♪ Wild thing

♪ You make my heart sing

♪ You make everything groovy

♪ Wild thing

What?

♪ But I wanna know for sure

Who is it?

♪ Come on, hold me tight

♪ Wild thing

‐ Yeah! ‐ Yeah!

♪ Wild thing

♪ You make my heart sing

♪ You make everything groovy

‐ Yeah! ‐ ♪ Wild thing

‐ Get it, Raccoon! ‐ ♪ Come on, come on

♪ Come on, come on, come on, come on ♪

‐ ♪ Wild thing ‐ Yeah!

♪ I think I love you

♪ Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it ♪

♪ Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it ♪

♪ Shake it, shake it

‐Yeah! ‐Come on!

‐ ♪ I love you ‐ I'm done.

He committed like no other.

‐ I love you! ‐ Robin's floored! Robin's jealous!

‐ Oh, my God. ‐ He just won our hearts.

I loved it because he didn't follow script.

‐ No. ‐ You were on the edge of your seat

and that's entertainment at its finest.

Congratulations. Great job.

‐ Thank you. ‐ Whoo!

All right, guys, and now it's time

for the first impression guesses.

The Masked Singer tour bus is about to do another drive‐by.

‐Uh‐oh. ‐ I have no idea.

‐ Who's under there? ‐ Come back and see me later.

Zoink.

‐ Time is up. ‐ ♪ Making music with my friends ♪

‐ Get those votes on the bus. ‐ Get on the bus.

All right, Raccoon, how are you doing?

Great! This is the most fun I've ever had in my life.

‐ Oh! ‐ I can actually be a raccoon.

‐ I love that. ‐ Listen, I got nothing.

‐ Ladies? ‐ I'm gonna go because yours is probably a lot better.

‐ No, no it's not. ‐ Okay, Raccoon moves like someone a little older.

‐ Yeah. ‐ I think it's a legend,

like, some legendary actor or something.

I'm thinking this could possibly be Gary Busey.

You know, I wrote down him as a possibility also.

Possibly. There's a lot of country western themes.

He's from Texas. It could also be Nick Nolte.

‐True! ‐ Or Sammy Hagar.

I mean, they're all part of the same book club, you know?

‐ This one is hard for me. ‐ I had high hopes for you, girl.

I am laying down my monocle and giving it to Jenny. She's wearing the crown.

‐Come on, Queen! ‐ I have no idea who it is.

I'm completely lost!

I think you saw better before the glasses, girlfriend.

‐ Talk to me, Kenneth. ‐ I know exactly who this is.

‐ Come on, Ken! ‐ I think this is a fighter.

I think this is someone who has gone through a lot in life,

paid his dues for it, and came out on the other side.

I'm gonna go with Mike Tyson right now.

‐ I'm going to go Mike Tyson. ‐ Mike Tyson?

How do you get the cowboy hat to Mike Tyson?

I was hanging out with Mike

on the "Hangover 2" set in Thailand,

and he said to me,

"You know what I really want to buy?"

And I said, "What?" "Chapeaus."

He wanted to buy a hat.

And I was like, "What kind of chapeau?"

"Cowboy chapeau."

That's my Mike Tyson impression.

Yeah, when I saw the clue package, I was with Ken.

I was thinking maybe Mr. T or a fighter,

but then I used my eyes the rest of the time.

There we go.

But then I got into this historic actor,

been through a lot.

Somebody like Joe Pesci.

Ah, good guess.

You know what I mean? That gritty voice.

‐ Yeah. ‐ However, I'm gonna go to another actor

who also fits the body type and is a legend.

I think it might be Danny DeVito.

‐Oh, Danny DeVito! ‐ Oh, my God, that's brilliant.

But one thing all of our guesses have in common

is that we agree this is definitely a huge superstar.

‐ I am dying to know who this is. ‐ Right?

All right, Raccoon, you did a great job.

We're going to have you scurry on backstage, all right?

Where's he going? Oh. Wait, Raccoon!

Hey!

Who is that?

♪ Who is that?

Welcome back to "The Masked Singer" season 5 premiere,

and it's time to meet our final competitor of Group A.

Please uncage the Porcupine.

♪ You can't touch this, music hits me, so hard ♪

♪ Makes me say, oh, my Lord ♪

♪ Thank you for blessing me

♪ With a mind to rhyme and two hyped feet ♪

‐Oh! ‐ Oh!

‐ Oh, my God! ‐Amazing!

‐Oh, yeah. ‐ Yeah!

‐Break it down. ‐ He's a giant.

Oh, he can dance. He can move.

♪ Stop. Hammer time

Stop. Porcupine.

Oh, my God, he's the coolest!

I love the Porcupine!

‐ I'm so sorry. ‐ What?

Porcupine? That is not my name.

‐ What? ‐ Y'all don't know?

Y'all don't know?

‐ My name is Robopine. ‐ Oh, game‐changer.

Oh, Robopine! Okay.

‐ Futuristic. ‐ Duly noted.

So you at home take a look

at these first clues for Robopine.

Scanning, scanning.

Oh, hello there.

I may look prickly, but don't be scared.

Where I came from, I was forced to grow thick quills.

I was left to fend for myself with nothing but a dream.

Someone with a tough upbringing.

So I went on a mission to get on Hollywood's radar.

Oh, that's DNA. Maybe he played a scientist on TV?

I'd used 411 day and night just to make a connection

until a certain angel said, "Hello."

That random call changed everything.

Now, I'm on my next mission,

and when I have my sights set on something,

nobody can touch me.

♪ I can't fool myself, I don't want nobody else to ever love me ♪

♪ You are my shining star

♪ My guiding light, my love fantasy ♪

♪ There's not a minute, hour, day, or night ♪

♪ That I don't love you

♪ You're at the top of my list

♪ 'Cause I'm always thinking of you ♪

♪ I still remember in the days when I was scared to touch you ♪

♪ How I spent my day dreaming, planning how to say I love you ♪

‐ Silky smooth. ‐ ♪ You must have known that I had feelings ♪

♪ Deep enough to swim in

♪ That's when you opened up your heart ♪

♪ And you told me to come in, oh, my love ♪

♪ A thousand kisses from you

♪ Is never too much

That sounds like Jamie Foxx.

♪ I just don't wanna stop

♪ Oh, my love

♪ A million days in your arms

♪ Was never too much

Whoo!

♪ I just don't wanna stop

♪ Never too much, never too much, never too much ♪

Yes!

♪ Oh, my love

‐Wow. ‐Yeah!

Group A is bringing it for season five. I love it.

‐ So good. Wow! ‐ Robopine, who are you?

‐ Oh, my goodness. That was amazing! ‐ Oh, my gosh.

You are such a larger than life presence on that stage.

‐ Exactly. ‐ And then you got this voice,

this silky, yummy, buttah voice.

‐ I mean, I'm captivated by you. ‐ Wow. That's high praise.

‐Oh, my God! ‐Oh, man.

Honestly, I've never seen a Robopine grind on stage.

‐ I really haven't. ‐ You haven't lived.

All right, it's time to write down

your first impression guesses.

‐ ‐ ♪ On the road again

Guys, this is hard.

I don't know who it is. Go and come back.

♪ My love is making music with my friends ♪

♪ I can't wait to get on the road again ♪

All right, time's up.

Robopine, could you tell us a little something about yourself.

Well, my kids and my grandkids

told me I was supposed to hang it up a long time ago.

60 years old, and I really appreciate the love.

‐ 60? ‐ It means a lot.

‐ I don't think so. ‐ I don't believe a word you said.

‐ Exactly. ‐ Because you are not 60 with those moves.

Listen, this is game‐changing season five.

‐ He could be lying big time. ‐ Okay, so?

What are the clues you're picking up on?

'Cause I could tell you for me, I really feel like this is

somebody who I auditioned for back in the day

to be their background dancer.

‐ Niecy, did you ever date him? ‐ Huh?

‐ Did you ever date him? ‐ Huh?

Who did what?

Okay, I think that this is a triple threat,

someone who can sing, who can dance, who can act.

It could be Idris Elba, Donald Glover.

I think it could be Jamie Foxx.

Oh, my God. I was thinking that, too.

‐ Oh, boy. ‐ Pay up, girl.

You know what? I can afford it.

‐ You gonna lose that money. ‐ Jamie can move like that. Jamie can sing.

‐ But Jamie ain't 60 years old. ‐He could be lying.

‐ It's game‐changing. He's changing it up. ‐ No, that's game‐lying.

This is the game‐changing season.

Okay, hear me out.

In the clue package, the angel says one of the songs.

It was a... ♪ Hello

And the voice, how silky smooth it is.

‐ I thought of Lionel Richie. ‐That's pretty good.

‐Yeah. ‐You know, I'm gonna go in a different direction

because number one, this singer is from Washington.

We saw George Washington in the package.

‐ Yeah. ‐ Very talented, not 60 years old,

so I'm hoping that you're fibbing about that.

And his name rhymes with Robopine‐‐ Ginuwine.

‐Hey! ‐Oh, good guess.

Whoever you are, I think we are going to see you

all the way to the semifinals, my friend.

Another hand for Robopine!

I think with Group A, there's gotta be

at least one huge name, right, under the mask?

Absolutely.

Tonight's premiere was over the top.

We've had ground‐breaking costumes

to epic performances from our Group A singers.

Now, to our many fans at home and to our wonderful panel,

it's time to choose your favorite singer of the night.

The one with the least amount of votes

will be our first unmasking of the season.

Okay, the votes are in.

No!

And the performer forced to unmask

right now is...

The votes are in, and the performer with the least amount of votes,

the first singer of season five forced to unmask is...

Ooh.

They just got here.

‐Oh, my goodness. ‐

The Snail.

‐ No! ‐ Oh, no.

Snail.

The rest of you, congrats.

You have officially advanced to the next round.

I'll see you there.

‐ Oh, Snail. ‐I'm so sorry, Snail.

We are so sorry to see you go,

but excited to see who you are.

‐ Yes! ‐ That's right.

I am dying to see who this is.

But first, let's retrieve our panel's

first impression guesses from the vault.

Oh, I forgot about‐‐

Men In Black, bring 'em out, bring 'em out.

Remember, panel, if your first impression guess is correct,

you get a point towards winning that Golden Ear trophy.

‐ Oh, no. ‐Niecy, we got rid of this part.

‐ Yeah. ‐ Don't let them fool you.

Season five, we got rid of it.

‐A different format. ‐ Mm‐mm, mm‐mm.

‐ Okay, Robin. ‐ Yes. Hi.

Your first impression guess was Seth MacFarlane.

‐ Are you sticking with that? ‐ I'm gonna hold tight on that

because host, director, writer, producer of albums,

I think it's the mighty Seth MacFarlane.

‐ All righty. ‐ Good guess.

Ken, your first impression guess was Jay Leno.

‐ Are you gonna hold there? ‐You know what? Yes, I will.

I mean, the talk show theme.

The bear for his cameo in "Ted 2."

‐ Yes. ‐ Yeah, you know.

You know what, Niecy? I think it is Jay Leno.

‐ Okay. ‐Yeah.

‐ Jenny, you guessed Adam Carolla. ‐ Yes?

‐ Are you sticking with that? ‐ That's not too embarrassing.

I'm not gonna stick with it, though.

‐ I'm not. ‐ Oh.

Let me go just way out in left field here.

We had Sarah Palin in season three,

so I thought maybe someone political.

And then I went, oh, there was an American eagle with Dr. Drew.

‐ Yeah. ‐ And there's a bear named Ted.

Could it be Senator Ted Cruz?

Okay, you are swinging for the fences.

Nicole, your first impression was also Adam Carolla.

Are you sticking with that?

Guys, I'm gonna switch it up here, okay?

I'm thinking it could be Billy Crystal.

‐Oh! ‐ That's a good guess. Good guess.

Someone who is also legendary, iconic TV host,

jack of all trades, does everything,

rubs shoulders with everybody.

Robert De Niro, "Analyze This."

So, I mean, if it could be the one and only Billy Crystal,

‐ that would be pretty awesome. ‐ That would be pretty amazing.

That would be huge. That'd be huge.

Well, we're gonna find out.

Okay, you have made your final guesses,

and let's see if any of you are right.

Who's behind the mask?

Audience, say it with me now!

Take it off! Take it off!

‐Who is it? ‐

♪ Who are you?

‐ ♪ Who, who, who, who ‐Who is it?

‐ Oh, my God! ‐ Who is it?

♪ I really wanna know

Yes! Who is it?

♪ Tell me who are you, you, you ♪

♪ Who are you?

‐ What? ‐ It's nobody.

‐Who is it? ‐What's going on?

‐Who is it? ‐ I'm really confused.

Is there a body inside there?

Aah! There's something in there!

‐ What is going on? ‐ Oh, my gosh, what?

‐What? ‐

‐ Oh, my gosh! ‐ Oh!

‐Kermit the Frog! ‐ It is Kermit?

Come on! Come on!

The first thing I thought of was Kermit.

I literally said it out loud.

I go, "Sounds like Kermit the Frog."

‐ Come on! ‐Oh, my God.

Hi. Hi, there. How you guys doing?

The most famous guest on "The Masked Singer" ever.

‐That's true. ‐You know what?

You know, it's not easy being green,

but sometimes it's even harder being a snail.

I am never going to hear the end of this from Miss Piggy.

Oh, we love you, Kermit.

‐ Oh, my God, you're amazing! ‐ Kermit!

The first to go home, but the one we'll never forget.

Thank you so much.

Well, you know what? I just have had a great time being here.

It's really been a pleasure. Thanks for having me.

‐ We love you, Kermit. ‐ We love you, Kermit!

Right now, it is my absolute pleasure to introduce

the artist formerly known as the Snail,

give it up for my boo, Kermit.

♪ What I want, you've got, and it might be hard to handle ♪

♪ Like a flame that burns the candle ♪

♪ The candle feeds the flame

♪ Oh, yeah, well, well, you

‐Yeah! ‐ Whoo!

♪ You make my, you make my

♪ You make my dreams come true

♪ You do

Go on, Kermit!