'The Masked Singer': Ringmaster Is an ABC Sitcom Star
The Masked Singer finale ended in heartbreak for Ringmaster on Wednesday night. She came oh so close — outlasting third-place finisher Prince — but she just couldn't win it all. She lost to Firefly, who was unmasked to be an R&B star. Scroll through to learn which ABC sitcom standout was actually the voice behind Ringmaster this whole time (if you weren't already watching via FuboTV or another live service). Spoilers ahead!
The star behind Ringmaster might be less familiar to FOX viewers, but for TV watchers who love ABC sitcoms, she is well-known. Ringmaster is Hayley Orrantia, the 28-year-old actress who plays Erica Goldberg on The Goldbergs. (She also made an appearance on the show's spinoff, Schooled.) While most fans know her for acting, she's actually a singer as well. She even competed on the first season of the American version of The X Factor, where she competed as a member of Lakoda Rayne, a group put together by Paula Abdul.
The Masked Singer's panel of judges could not quite nail the true identity of Ringmaster. Robin Thicke went with country singer Maren Morris, Nicole Scherzinger chose Lucy Hale of Pretty Little Liars fame, and Ken Jeong went with a huge star, Hailee Steinfeld. Jenny McCarthy was also wrong, picking Hayden Panettiere, the star of Heroes and Nashville.
The reveal for Ringmaster came just minutes after Prince was shown to be Cheyenne Jackson, an actor best known for American Horror Story. Previously eliminated contestants include Queen Cobra (En Vogue), Space Bunny (Shaggy) Mammoth (Kristie Alley) Jack in the Box (Rudy Guiliani) Miss Teddy (Jennifer Holliday), Armadillo (Dog the Bounty Hunter), Hydra (Penn & Teller), Lemur (model Christie Brinkley), Thingamabob (NFL player Jordan Mailata), Cyclops (actor Jorge Garcia), Ram (sportscaster Joe Buck) and McTerrier (Ace of Cakes' Duff Goldman).
The Masked Singer Season 7's finale is currently airing on FOX. You can watch in real-time via FuboTV (get a free trial here). You can also watch The Masked Singer by using Hulu, where episodes stream starting the morning after the broadcast. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for future updates on The Masked Singer.