The Masked Singer (American TV series) season 6

The sixth season of the American television series The Masked Singer premiered on Fox on September 22, 2021, following a sneak peek episode that aired on September 12,^[1] and concluded on December 15, 2021. The season was won by singer Jewel as "Queen of Hearts", with singer Todrick Hall finishing second as "Bull".

The Masked Singer
Season 6
Promotional poster for season six, featuring "Queen of Hearts", "Dalmatian", "Hamster", "Cupcake", and "Mallard"
Starring	Robin Thicke Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg Ken Jeong Nicole Scherzinger
Hosted by	Nick Cannon
No. of contestants	16
Winner	Jewel as "Queen of Hearts"
Runner-up	Todrick Hall as "Bull"
No. of episodes	16
Release
Original network	Fox
Original release	September 22 (2021-09-22) – December 15, 2021 (2021-12-15)
Season chronology
List of episodes

Panelists and host

Season 6 panelists and host

Robin Thicke

Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg

Ken Jeong

Nicole Scherzinger

Nick Cannon

Nick Cannon, singer-songwriter Robin Thicke, television and radio personality Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, actor and comedian Ken Jeong, and recording artist Nicole Scherzinger all returned as host and panelists.^[2] The panelists also again competed for the Golden Ear during the season, with Nicole Scherzinger winning for the first time.^[3]

Guest panelists in the season included Leslie Jordan in the sixth episode, Joel McHale in the seventh episode, will.i.am in the eighth episode, and Cheryl Hines in the ninth episode.^[4]

Production

On May 17, 2021, it was announced that Fox renewed the series for a sixth season, prior to the airing of the fifth season's finale on May 26.^[5] On July 26, 2021, it was announced that the season would premiere with a two-night premiere on September 22 and 23.^[6]

Filming for the season began at the end of June 2021, with an expected wrap date of August 11. During production, it was reported that 12 positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed at Red Studios Hollywood, though filming was not halted. Also aided by the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, this season features a studio audience for the first time since season three (the last season filmed prior to the start of the pandemic), though with a smaller size than it used to be.^[7]

A new twist called the 'Take It Off Buzzer' was introduced in this season.^[8] The button can be used once for each group. If a panelist pushes it and guesses the celebrity correctly, then the contestant must take off their mask and be eliminated and the panelist will get two extra points towards their Golden Ear score. If the guess is incorrect, then the contestant keeps their mask on and stays in the competition. Ken Jeong pushed the button for Group A and incorrectly guessed that "Pepper" was Sara Bareilles, while Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg pushed the button for Group B and incorrectly guessed that "Caterpillar" was Jake Gyllenhaal.

Contestants

The season features two groups, Group A and Group B. For the first time in the show's history, the winner of each group will face-off against each other in the season finale episode. Wild cards, a concept introduced in the previous season, also return, being added to each group throughout the season to compete for the "Golden Mask" trophy themselves.^[3] The contestants in this season are reported to have a combined 85 Grammy nominations, 27 Grammy wins, 12 Emmy nominations, 12 Razzie Award nominations, three Academy Award nominations, two Super Bowl appearances, and two lifetime achievement awards.^[9]

"Baby" is the first human costume featured on the show.^[10]

Results

Stage name	Celebrity	Occupation(s)	Episodes
			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	13
			Group A		Group B	A	B	A	B	A	B	A	B
Queen of Hearts	Jewel	Singer			SAFE		SAFE		SAFE		SAFE		WIN	WINNER
Bull	Todrick Hall	Singer	SAFE	SAFE		SAFE		SAFE		SAFE		WIN		RUNNER-UP
Banana Split	David Foster	Musician/composer			SAFE		SAFE		SAFE		SAFE		OUT
	Katharine McPhee	Singer/actor
Skunk	Faith Evans	Singer	SAFE	SAFE		SAFE		SAFE		SAFE		OUT
Caterpillar (WC)	Bobby Berk	TV host					SAFE		SAFE		OUT
Mallard	Willie Robertson	TV personality			SAFE		SAFE		SAFE		OUT
Pepper (WC)	Natasha Bedingfield	Singer				SAFE		SAFE		OUT
Jester (WC)	Johnny Rotten	Singer						SAFE		OUT
Beach Ball (WC)	Honey Boo Boo	TV personalities							OUT
	Mama June
Hamster (WC)	Rob Schneider	Actor/comedian		SAFE		SAFE		OUT
Cupcake	Ruth Pointer[a]	Singer			SAFE		OUT
Baby (WC)	Larry the Cable Guy	Comedian/actor		SAFE		OUT
Dalmatian	Tyga	Rapper			OUT
Pufferfish	Toni Braxton	Singer	SAFE	OUT
Mother Nature	Vivica A. Fox	Actor	OUT[b]
Octopus	Dwight Howard	NBA player	OUT

  The masked singer won their face-off and remained in the competition.

  The masked singer was safe from elimination.

  The masked singer was eliminated from the competition and unmasked.

  The masked singer did not perform.

(WC) This masked singer is a wild card contestant.

The celebrities who competed in the sixth season of The Masked Singer, pictured in order of elimination (L–R):

Dwight Howard ("Octopus"), Vivica A. Fox ("Mother Nature"), Toni Braxton ("Pufferfish"), Tyga ("Dalmatian"), Larry the Cable Guy ("Baby"), Ruth Pointer ("Cupcake"), Rob Schneider ("Hamster"), Johnny Rotten ("Jester"), Natasha Bedingfield ("Pepper"), Willie Robertson ("Mallard"), Bobby Berk ("Caterpillar"), Faith Evans ("Skunk"), David Foster & Katharine McPhee ("Banana Split"), Todrick Hall ("Bull"), and Jewel ("Queen of Hearts")

Not pictured: Honey Boo Boo and Mama June ("Beach Ball")

Episodes

Week 1 (September 22 and 23)

Performances on the first episode

#	Stage name	Song	Identity	Result
1	Skunk	"Diamonds" by Sam Smith	undisclosed	SAFE
2	Octopus	"Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard	Dwight Howard	OUT
3	Pufferfish	"Say So" by Doja Cat	undisclosed	SAFE
4	Mother Nature	"I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross	Vivica A. Fox[b]	OUT
5	Bull	"Drops of Jupiter" by Train	undisclosed	SAFE

Performances on the second episode

#	Stage name	Song	Identity	Result
Wild card	Hamster	"Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison	undisclosed	SAFE
1	Skunk	"It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" by James Brown	undisclosed	SAFE
2	Pufferfish	"Levitating" by Dua Lipa feat. DaBaby	Toni Braxton[c]	OUT
3	Bull	"What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts	undisclosed	SAFE
Wild card	Baby	"You're the First, the Last, My Everything" by Barry White	undisclosed	SAFE

Week 2 (September 29)

Performances on the third episode

#	Stage name	Song	Identity	Result
1	Queen of Hearts	"Born This Way" by Lady Gaga	undisclosed	SAFE
2	Mallard	"Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" by Big & Rich	undisclosed	SAFE
3	Cupcake	"Heatwave" by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas	undisclosed	SAFE
4	Dalmatian	"Beautiful" by Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell Williams	Tyga	OUT
5	Banana Split	"A Million Dreams" by P!nk	undisclosed	SAFE
			undisclosed

Week 3 (October 6)

Performances on the fourth episode

#	Stage name	Song	Identity	Result
1	Bull	"Circus" by Britney Spears	undisclosed	SAFE
2	Hamster	"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen	undisclosed	SAFE
3	Skunk	"Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips	undisclosed	SAFE
4	Baby	"Meet the Flintstones" by Hoyt Curtin	Larry the Cable Guy	OUT
Wild card	Pepper	"Jealous" by Labrinth	undisclosed	SAFE

Week 4 (October 13)

Performances on the fifth episode

#	Stage name	Song	Identity	Result
1	Banana Split	"Cry Me a River" by Michael Bublé	undisclosed	SAFE
			undisclosed
2	Cupcake	"Finesse" by Bruno Mars	Ruth Pointer	OUT
3	Queen of Hearts	"La Vie en rose" by Édith Piaf	undisclosed	SAFE
4	Mallard	"My House" by Flo Rida	undisclosed	SAFE
Wild card	Caterpillar	"If I Were a Boy" by Beyoncé	undisclosed	SAFE

Week 5 (October 20)

Guest panelist performance: "This Little Light of Mine" performed by Leslie Jordan as "Soft Serve"

Performances on the sixth episode

#	Stage name	Song	Identity	Result
1	Bull	"Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan	undisclosed	SAFE
2	Pepper	"No Tears Left to Cry" by Ariana Grande	undisclosed	SAFE
3	Skunk	"Square Biz" by Teena Marie	undisclosed	SAFE
4	Hamster	"Sabor a Mí" by Luis Miguel	Rob Schneider	OUT
Wild card	Jester	"School's Out" by Alice Cooper	undisclosed	SAFE

Week 6 (November 3)

Performances on the seventh episode

#	Stage name	Song	Identity	Result
1	Mallard	"Play Something Country" by Brooks & Dunn	undisclosed	SAFE
2	Caterpillar	"It's Gonna Be Me" by NSYNC	undisclosed	SAFE
3	Queen of Hearts	"River" by Bishop Briggs	undisclosed	SAFE
4	Banana Split	"Let 'er Rip" by The Chicks	undisclosed	SAFE
			undisclosed
Wild card	Beach Ball	"Party in the U.S.A." by Miley Cyrus	Honey Boo Boo	OUT
			Mama June

Week 7 (November 10)

Performances on the eighth episode

#	Stage name	Song	Identity	Result
1	Bull	"Rain on Me" by Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande	undisclosed	SAFE
2	Pepper	"Sign of the Times" by Harry Styles	Natasha Bedingfield	OUT
3	Jester	"I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" by Soggy Bottom Boys	Johnny Rotten	OUT
4	Skunk	"At Last" by Etta James	undisclosed	SAFE

Week 8 (November 17)

Performances on the ninth episode

#	Stage name	Song	Identity	Result
1	Banana Split	"Poker Face" by Lady Gaga	undisclosed	SAFE
			undisclosed
2	Caterpillar	"Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks	Bobby Berk	OUT
3	Mallard	"Fly" by Sugar Ray	Willie Robertson	OUT
4	Queen of Hearts	"She's Got You" by Patsy Cline	undisclosed	SAFE

Week 9 (December 1)

Performances on the tenth episode

#	Stage name (and duet partner)	Song	Identity	Result
1	Bull	"Straight Up" by Paula Abdul	undisclosed	WIN
2	Skunk	"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" by Aretha Franklin	Faith Evans	OUT
3	Bull & Jesse McCartney	"Breakeven" by The Script
4	Skunk & Michael Bolton	"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Week 10 (December 8)

Performances on the eleventh episode

#	Stage name (and duet partner)	Song	Identity	Result
1	Banana Split	"Singin' in the Rain" by Arthur Freed	David Foster	OUT
			Katharine McPhee
2	Queen of Hearts	"Bird Set Free" by Sia	undisclosed	WIN
3	Banana Split & Robin Thicke	"Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" by Stevie Wonder
4	Queen of Hearts & Nicole Scherzinger	"Dream On" by Aerosmith

Week 11 (December 15) – Finale

Performances on the twelfth episode

#	Stage name	Song
1	Bull	"Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives
2	Queen of Hearts	"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Frank Sinatra

Performances on the final episode

#	Stage name	Song	Identity	Result
1	Bull	"You Gotta Be" by Des'ree	Todrick Hall	RUNNER-UP
		"Invisible" by Hunter Hayes
2	Queen of Hearts	"What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye	Jewel	WINNER
		"Firework" by Katy Perry

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of The Masked Singer (American TV series) season 6

No.	Title	Air date	Timeslot (ET)	Rating/share (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	DVR (18–49)	DVR viewers (millions)	Total (18–49)	Total viewers (millions)	Ref.
0	"The Masked Singer & Alter Ego Sneak Peek"	September 12, 2021	Sunday 8:00 p.m.	0.9/6	2.94	—	—	—	—	[12]
1	"2 Night Season Premiere, Part 1: Group A Premiere"	September 22, 2021	Wednesday 8:00 p.m.	1.1/8	4.74	0.4	1.76	1.6	6.50	[13][14][d]
2	"2 Night Season Premiere, Part 2: Back to School"	September 23, 2021	Thursday 8:00 p.m.	1.0/7	4.65	0.4	1.48	1.4	6.13	[15][16][d]
3	"Group B Premiere"	September 29, 2021	Wednesday 8:00 p.m.	1.0/7	4.55	0.4	1.45	1.4	6.00	[17][18][d]
4	"House Party"	October 6, 2021		0.9/6	4.35	0.3	1.27	1.2	5.63	[19][20][d]
5	"Date Night"	October 13, 2021		1.0/7	4.60	0.4	1.62	1.4	6.21	[21][22]
6	"Time Warp"	October 20, 2021		1.0/7	4.53	0.5	1.74	1.4	6.27	[23][24]
Special	"All-Time Countdown"	October 25, 2021	Monday 8:00 p.m.	0.4/3	2.28	0.2	0.85	0.6	3.14	[25][26][d]
7	"Giving Thanks"	November 3, 2021	Wednesday 8:00 p.m.	0.9/7	4.20	0.3	1.30	1.3	5.50	[27][28][d]
8	"Group A Semi-Final"	November 10, 2021		0.9/6	3.96	0.3	1.40	1.2	5.36	[29][30][d]
9	"Group B Semi-Final"	November 17, 2021		1.0/8	4.64	0.4	1.47	1.4	6.11	[31][32]
10	"Group A Finale"	December 1, 2021		0.9/6	4.17	0.3	1.31	1.2	5.48	[33][34]
11	"Group B Finale"	December 8, 2021		0.9/6	4.32	0.4	1.61	1.2	5.93	[35][36]
12	"2 Hour Grand Finale Part 1"	December 15, 2021		0.8/6	4.41	0.2	0.92	1.0	5.33	[37][38][d]
13	"2 Hour Grand Finale Part 2"	December 15, 2021	Wednesday 9:00 p.m.	1.0/7	5.08	0.2	1.12	1.2	6.19	[37][38][d]
Special	"The Masked Singer Christmas Singalong"	December 22, 2021	Wednesday 8:00 p.m.	0.3/2	2.07	—	—	—	—	[39]

Notes

1. After unmasking, Ruth Pointer stated that originally she and her sister Anita were to perform together as a pair of cupcakes, but Anita had to drop out because of illness.^[11]
2. While eliminated in the first episode, Mother Nature was unmasked in the second episode.
3. After being unmasked, Braxton wore a KN95 mask over her mouth because of her lupus.
4. Live+7 ratings were unavailable, so Live+3 ratings have been used instead.

References

1. "FOX to Unmask a Special Sneak Peek at Season Six of The Masked Singer and the World's First Avatar Singing Competition Series, Alter Ego, Sunday, Sept. 12 on FOX!" (Press release). Fox. August 12, 2021. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
2. Zach Seemayer (July 26, 2021). "Fox Announces Big Masked Singer 2-Night Season 6 Premiere!". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
3. Stephanie Weaver (August 6, 2021). "The Masked Singer reveals 1st season six costume — and it's 'pawsome'". Fox 11 Los Angeles. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
4. Michael Schneider (August 30, 2021). "The Masked Singer Reveals Season 6 Guest Panelists, Including Joel McHale and Will.i.am (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
5. Peter White (May 17, 2021). "The Masked Singer Renewed At Fox For Season 6". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
6. "FOX Announces Fall Premiere Dates for the 2021-2022 Season" (Press release). Fox. July 26, 2021. Archived from the original on February 20, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2021 – via The Futon Critic.
7. Michael Schneider (August 2, 2021). "The Masked Singer Continues Production Despite 12 COVID Cases". Variety. Archived from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
8. Lauren Huff (September 2, 2021). "The Masked Singer season 6 to introduce shocking new elimination twist". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
9. Meredith Jacobs (August 17, 2021). "The Masked Singer Season 6: All the New Costumes Revealed So Far (PHOTOS)". TV Insider. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
10. Jennifer Maas (September 8, 2021). "Masked Singer Season 6: Meet Baby, Show's First Human Character and Biggest Costume Ever (Exclusive Photo)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
11. Erin Jensen (October 14, 2021). "Masked Singer: Cupcake is iced out; wildcard Caterpillar gives 'front-runner performance'". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
12. Mitch Metcalf (September 14, 2021). "Sunday 9.12.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 17, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
13. Mitch Metcalf (September 23, 2021). "Wednesday 9.22.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
14. Marc Berman (September 23, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: NBC and CBS Share Dominance; Slow Openings for ABC's The Wonder Years and Fox's Alter Ego". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
15. Mitch Metcalf (September 24, 2021). "Thursday 9.23.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
16. Marc Berman (September 24, 2021). "Thursday Ratings: Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime Leads NBC to Victory". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
17. Mitch Metcalf (September 30, 2021). "Wednesday 9.29.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
18. Marc Berman (September 30, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: NBC and CBS Share Dominance; ABC Remains Out of the Competitive Loop". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
19. Mitch Metcalf (October 7, 2021). "Wednesday 10.6.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
20. Marc Berman (October 7, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: CSI: Vegas Left at the Starting Gate on CBS". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
21. Mitch Salem (October 14, 2021). "Wednesday 10.13.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
22. Marc Berman (October 14, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: CW Season Openers Barely Resonate; The Wonder Years and CSI: Vegas Reboots Continue to Flounder". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
23. Mitch Metcalf (October 21, 2021). "Wednesday 10.20.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
24. Marc Berman (October 21, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: Chicago Trio Leads NBC to Victory; CBS' Survivor Tops Night in Adults 18-49". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
25. Mitch Metcalf (October 26, 2021). "Monday 10.25.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
26. Marc Berman (October 26, 2021). "Monday Ratings: The 4400 Reboot Left at The CW Starting Gate; NBC Leads; CBS in All Repeats". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
27. Mitch Metcalf (November 4, 2021). "Wednesday 11.3.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
28. Marc Berman (November 4, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: NBC Wins; CBS' Survivor and Fox's The Masked Singer Tops in Adults 18-49". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
29. Mitch Metcalf (November 11, 2021). "Wednesday 11.10.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
30. Marc Berman (November 11, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: Even a Diluted Performance for The CMA Awards is Enough for ABC to Dominate". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
31. Mitch Salem (November 18, 2021). "Wednesday 11.17.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
32. Marc Berman (November 18, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: CBS and Fox Lead; Survivor and The Masked Singer Top Night". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
33. Mitch Metcalf (December 2, 2021). "Wednesday 12.1.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
34. Marc Berman (December 2, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: Holiday Specials Lead NBC to Victory". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
35. Mitch Metcalf (December 9, 2021). "Wednesday 12.8.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
36. Marc Berman (December 9, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: Quiet Season (or Series) Enders for CSI: Vegas on CBS and Alter Ego on Fox". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
37. Mitch Metcalf (December 16, 2021). "Wednesday 12.15.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
38. Marc Berman (December 16, 2021). "Wednesday Ratings: Survivor Season-Ender Leads CBS to Victory". Programming Insider. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
39. Mitch Metcalf (December 23, 2021). "Wednesday 12.22.2021 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.