Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora Unmasked on 'The Masked Singer'
The Masked Singer is an international phenomenon, and the Fox version is not the only one to attract major American stars. The latest season of the U.K. version included former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, who performed several rock classics before he was eliminated. Former Glee star Amber Riley also took part in The Masked Singer U.K. Season 4, just months after winning the American version.
Sambora was revealed to be the Jacket Potato in the Feb. 11 episode. During his run on the series, Sambora performed Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas," Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," "Brass in Pocket" by the Pretenders, Carlos Santana's "Smooth," and Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way." His final song was John Newman's "Love Me Again."
"I love being a guitar player and a songwriter," Sambora said in a statement after he was unmasked, notes NME. "And of course, I'm very privileged and honored to have had so much success and the accolades of being a Grammy winner, an Ivor Novello Award winner, and a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and Songwriters Hall Of Fame inductee, but what I really love to do is sing!"
"My hiatus from Bon Jovi and the Covid impact on my solo touring meant I could only do one thing which is make a new record until I saw The Masked Singer," Sambora continued. "I loved it and it was a lot of fun to watch it at a time where due to lockdowns and being forced to be at home the world was a little quieter than it had been since Bon Jovi kicked off 37 years ago."
The Masked Singer U.K. Season 4 aired on ITV between Jan. 1 and Feb. 18. Joel Dommett serves as the show's host, with Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Rita Ora, and Jonathan Ross as the panelists. Singer Charlie Simpson won the season as the Rino. Singers Ricky Wilson and Natalie Appleton also made it to the finale as the Phoenix and Fawn, respectively. Riley performed in the Jellyfish costume. Other celebrities participating in this season were singers Claire Richards and Lulu; actress Daisy May Cooper; comedian Katherine Ryan; snooker player Stephen Hendry; footballer Chris Kamara; and husband-and-wife musicians Martin Kemp and Shirlie Holliman.
Sambora, 63, joined Bon Jovi in 1983 as the group's lead guitarist. The group's biggest hits include "Livin' on a Prayer," "You Give Love a Bad Name," and "Wanted Dead or Alive." Sambora left the group in 2013 before they were set to start a tour to promote their album What About Now. Since then, Sambora has only played with the band once, when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
The American version of The Masked Singer is now in its ninth season on Fox. New episodes air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Country singer Sara Evans and actor Dick Van Dyke were unmasked during the season premiere.