‘The Masked Singer’ Live Updates: Semi Finals

The Masked Singer Season 5 semi-finals are here, and the clues are only getting more cryptic. This week’s episode shows Black Swan, Chameleon, Piglet and Yeti facing off for a chance to compete in the last round — and to keep their identities a secret for a while longer. Watch here for live updates on this season’s penultimate episode.

9:00 p.m. – Unmasking

Cluedle-Doo was unmasked almost as soon as the commercial break was over, revealing the face of Donny Wahlberg. Naturally, McCarthy was the most taken aback as his wife, though Wahlberg said that he was really there for the New Kid on the Block fans watching at home.

After that, it was time to unmask a contestant as well. Cannon announced dramatically that this week, the Yeti would be forced to unmask. Both he and the panel were shocked, saying they thought he could be a real winner. Cannon called for the first impression guesses to come back out.

Jeong stuck with his first impression guess of Justin Bieber in spite of some contradictions in the clue packages. Scherzinger abandoned her original guess of Jason Derulo and went with Mario instead. Conversely, McCarthy ditched her original guess of Mario and went with Ne-Yo instead. Finally, Thicke stuck with his original guess of Omarion. As for Rucker, he doubled down on his earlier guess of Sisqó.

With that, Yeti unmasked, and turned out to be Omarion. Cannon and the panelists were all completely floored, but they applauded the performer that much harder for it. Thicke was overjoyed to be “on the board.” Omarion thanked them for this experience before sending the show off in style.

8:50 p.m. – Cluedle-Doo

After the break, Cluedle-Doo appeared on stage and enlisted Cannon’s help in revealing his identity once and for all. However, first, he said he wanted to give the panelists one final clue to guess who he is first, and it was the last kind of clue they might have expected — a song.

Cluedle-Doo sang “Return of the Mack” by Mark Morrison. The stage was full of dancers in chicken costumes and the screen behind him was a collage of newspapers about his own mysterious identity. The judges were completely caught off-guard and not altogether displeased with what they saw.

Right off the bat, Rucker guessed that it must be a past guest on the show based on the song choice. Cluedle-Doo then gave a “Clue Drop” of his own — a toy giraffe. He explained: “Ken, this is not the first time we’ve been around animals together, but it will be the last.” Based off of that, Jeong guessed it might be Kevin James.

Thicke and Scherzinger’s half-jokingly guessed that it might be Jaime Foxx, while McCarthy guessed Akon. After thinking for a minute, Rucker decided to go with Jeong and guess Kevin James as well. After that, there was nothing left to do but unmask the mysterious rooster.

8:39 p.m. – Piglet

After the break, the show took another moment to tease Cluedle-Doo’s identity before turning to Piglet’s new clue package. It started with a title card reading: “Little PIglet on the Prairie,” and it showed Piglet doing chores around an eccentric farmhouse. He breezed past a tree that had small paper guitars hanging from the branches and held a microphone up to a purple model of a llama. He also lugged a wheelbarrow and then cheered in front of a full-length mirror.

“I had a grueling schedule for most of my career. But now, I just love the simple life at home with my family,” Piglet said. “Landscaping, grilling and football Sunday-Funday — that’s my happy place. I try to set an example for my kids every day, and I hope being here, I’ve shown them how to take risks, work hard and not take yourself too dang seriously! I’ve worked my little piggy tail off to get here, and I can look at myself in the mirror and be proud of that. You know, whatever happens, tonight, I have no regrets.”

Piglet sang “Bruises” by Lewis Capaldi, and the judges were floored. They were even more surprised to learn that his “Clue Drop” was for McCarthy. It turned out to be a poker chip, and Piglet explained: “I’ll always go all-in for you — especially for charity.” This led McCarthy to speculate about stars who have attended charity poker games with her, including Drew Lachey.

Jeong guessed Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, while Rucker went with Tim McGraw. Neither Scherzinger nor Thicke had a specific guess.

8:28 p.m. – Chameleon

The next segment saw the return of Chameleon, who got dressed up in sequinned outfits and garish jewelry. He danced through 1970s-style psychedelic scenery, turning to strike poses for the camera.

“It feels good being Chameleon because I love this character as much as I love myself,” he said. “What’s special is about me is my confidence and my ability to adapt and adjust. Moving around as a kid was very challenging, because, you know, you’re the new kid and you gotta, you gotta really sink in, and learn how to, you know, move and groove. But I was always good at it. It’s how I trailblazed my own path to create a brand and reach millions. I’m gunning for everybody — I’m trying to take their little masks off! And hey, where else can a colorful cham cover Cam’ron?”

Chameleon sang “Oh Boy” by Cam’ron featuring Juelz Santana. His clue package showed only vague clues, such as the contestant placing a brick on top of a stone pillar or walking across a wooden bridge in the midst of his colorful scenery. he also held up a small model of a double-decker bus.

Chameleon’s “Clue Drop” was for Rucker, and it was a small toy snake. Chameleon explained: “We shared the stage and Phoenix was there, and the corn dogs were delicious.” Rucker remembered performing in Phoenix, Arizona recently and seeing NFL star Larry Fitzgerald there, so that was his guess. Jenny McCarthy guessed rapper Riff Raff to everyone’s surprise, while Jeong thought it might be 2 Chainz.

8:18 p.m. – Black Swan

After the break, Cluedle-Doo made an appearance to introduce Black Swan as the next contestant. He said: “hold onto your feathers because you’re not the only one who’s going to be center-stage tonight.” Brushing him off, Black Swan began her clue package.

“I’m so proud of myself for surrendering into this challenge and facing my fears head-on. Who would have thought some black feathers and a sparkly beak would make me realize how free I was as a little girl?” She said. Black Swan’s clue package was set in a serene, bedazzled nature background. She stood in front of an easel with a maple leaf painted on canvas in front of her, and she danced with men in black who wore a nametag that said: “Hello my name is 1.”

“Reflecting back, there’s a lot I’d say to that younger swan,” she continued. “‘There may be a voice inside your head that tries to tear you down and make you feel like you’re not good enough. There’s times where you’re gonna believe it but don’t. You are good enough, and one day, a wacky, bizarre opportunity will come your way and give you wings you never expected. And it will be just what you needed to find yourself again. So be unafraid! And remember: you are the world’s rarest bird for a reason.’”

The clue package also emphasized an empty fish tank, a folded paper swan floating down a stream and a whiteboard painted with the words “Be Unafraid” in calligraphy. Black Swan then switched tones a bit by singing “Tequila” by Dan + Shay.

Black Swan’s “Clue Drop” revealed that she has a personal connection to Robin Thicke. It was a “celebrity VIP” badge, and Black Swan explained: “Robin, I’m such a huge fan, I love your music, I even love your dad jokes! So, it was great bumping into you at that after-party.”

This led Thicke to guess that Black Swan must be a professional singer, though he had no specific guesses. Jeong throughout several confident guesses before settling on his real guess of the night: Bjork. However, Rucker’s guess went over better: Alanis Morissette. Finally, Thicke chimed in with a last-minute guess of Carly Rae Jepsen.

8:11 p.m. – Yeti

This week’s episode kicked off with a reminder that the elusive Cluedle-Doo will be revealing his identity — though none of the panelists had a strong guess about who it might be. That includes this week’s guest panelist Darius Rucker, who wore a fish mask to denote his Hootie and the Blowfish origins.

With that, the show launched into the first performer of the night — the Yeti. His new clue package was set in a gloomy, icy scene full of reflective surfaces and portals. After gazing into a crystal ball, Yeti appeared next to a sign that said “North Pole Post Office,” with grandfather clocks on either side.

“This experience, for me, has been about keeping an open mind,” he said. “It’s something that I learned to do later in life, and I think that’s why I made it so far. Growing up without my dad in the picture was hard, even though I still had my family. When I was a grown-up he knocked on my door, and I had a choice: open myself up to life or close the door. I opened the door, not only inviting forgiveness but new possibilities — that even led me here.”

One of the men in black posed as Yeti’s father, wearing a long white beard and handing him a volleyball as an apparent peace offering. Yeti concluded: “See, by leaving that resentment out, I could walk a new path paved with positivity. And just like my journey on The Masked Singer, it’s time to celebrate how far I’ve come.”

Yeti sang “Celebration” by Koo and the Gang, surrounded by dancers wearing oversized sunglasses costumes. The panelists were astounded by his dance moves, especially as he kept his vocal performance at its same caliber as usual.

Host Nick Cannon then introduced a brand-new feature to the show: “The Masked Singer‘s first-ever Clue Drop.” This turned out to be a clue falling from the ceiling by a red miniature parachute. It was a small model surfboard reading “Santa Monica.” It was addressed to Nicole Scherzinger, and Yeti said: “Nicole, I’ll never forget when we was rubbing elbows down in Santa Monica.”

Scherzinger still voiced her guess that this might be a former football player and singer Marcus Houston, though she could not recall ever hanging out with him in Santa Monica. However, she thought it could be J Boog as well. Rucker thought it might be Sisqó, though again Scherzinger couldn’t remember hanging out with him.

The Masked Singer airs on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. You can watch the show there with an antenna, cable or satellite subscription, or you can stream it live on FuboTV with a free trial available here. If you miss an episode, you can always watch them live starting on Thursday mornings on Hulu, with a free trial available here. The Season 5 finale premieres next Wednesday.

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