'The Masked Singer': Kirstie Alley Appeared on Show Just Months Before Her Death

Kirstie Alley's last appearance on national television came during The Masked Singer Season 7. The Cheers star wore the Baby Mammoth costume and performed in two episodes before being unmasked. The Masked Singer producers plan to include a tribute to her during a special holiday episode airing Wednesday.

Alley made her Masked Singer debut during the April 20 episode, performing Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight." During the following week's episode, she performed "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)," inspired by Cher's classic take on the song. Alley made it to the duel, where she performed Meghan Trainer's "Me Too." However, she was eliminated that night.

Alley's interview with The Masked Singer host Nick Cannon after her reveal was likely her last on-screen comment. When asked why she chose to appear on the show, she said she wanted to do something her grandchildren could see. "I've done a lot of things in my career, but I've never gotten to be in the circus," she said. "I have grandchildren, and they're really young, so they are going to think this is good."

In her exit interview, Alley said her time on the show was just the latest evolution of her career. "I came on Masked Singer because about 10 years ago I realized I always had to keep mixing my career, mixing my life up, or it was going to get really mundane, it was going to get really boring fast," she said. "So I finally got up the nerve to do it."

The Masked Singer finished up Season 8 last week, but Fox will air a special holiday episode on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 9 p.m. ET. The Masked Singer Seasonal Sing-a-Long Spectacular! will feature a tribute to Alley, reports Deadline. The Masked Singer panelist Ken Jeong has also shared a tribute to Alley, simply writing, "Rest in peace, Kirstie."

Alley's children, True and Lillie Parker, announced her death Monday night. Her representative later told PEOPLE that the cause of death was colon cancer, which was only recently diagnosed. "She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead," Alley's children wrote. "As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother."

Alley was best known for her role as Rebecca Howe on Cheers, which earned her an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991. She won a second Emmy in 1994 for the TV movie David's Mother and was also nominated for her roles in The Last Don and Veronica's Closet. She also starred in the three Look Who's Talking movies with John Travolta, the 1999 hit Drop Dead Gorgeous, and many other movies and shows. She was 71.