'The Masked Singer’ Season 11: Ex-NFL star DeMarcus Ware stuns as surprise wildcard Koala
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In Wednesday's episode of 'The Masked Singer' Season 11, viewers got a double surprise. Lovebird, who was eliminated, turned out to be former Bachelor Colton Underwood. Meanwhile, Koala was also sent home, revealing football legend DeMarcus Ware under the mask. The fact that Koala was none other than NFL Hall of Famer Ware sent shockwaves to fans and judges alike as no thought thought the Super Bowl champion was hiding under the mask.
DeMarcus Ware decided to join 'The Masked Singer' after producers witnessed him singing the national anthem at the football hall of fame, according to Variety. Ware shared that the producers were surprised by his singing ability and encouraged him to participate. Singing has always been a passion for Ware, who sings in the car, shower, and even participated in the singing group during junior high. He also mentioned that there was a lot of singing when his team won the Super Bowl.
After his elimination, panelist's were left in awe of his singing. "You sang so beautifully," panelist Robin Thicke told Ware after his reveal. Ware also revelaed how being on the show was "one of the coolest things" he has done. "I put on the Koala mask and no one knew who I was, and so the true personality of me actually came out," he shared in his exit interview.
In this week's Transformers-themed episode, along with the introduction of the Koala, the previous members of Group A—Goldfish, Lovebird, Starfish, and Ugly Sweater—returned to perform songs from the Transformers movie franchise, where robots disguise themselves as cars.
'The Masked Singer' Season 11: Clues for Koala mask
Ware, who performed as the Koala mask, joined the competition as a wildcard in episode 6. In the package from his clues, he dropped hints about his identity, mentioning that he didn't start off as superstar material and avoided interviews. The visual clues included a cow skull with a red cowboy hat, a captain's hat, a TV, a wrestling belt featuring a sun logo, a sword, and during the Transformers Night episode, it was hinted that he's on a short list with some of the greatest of all time.
Robin guessed that Michael Irvin was behind the mask, while Ken's guess was Deion Sanders, and Rita's guess was Terry Crews. However, all of their guesses turned out to be incorrect.
What will happen on 'The Masked Singer' Season 11 next week?
Next week, on "Queen Night," the contestants will be showcasing their talents by performing songs from the iconic rock band, Queen. This special episode will feature the Group A contestants paying homage to Queen, and two more celebrities will be revealed when they remove their masks.
Only one contestant will advance to the quarter-finals. Make sure to catch the "Group A Finals: Queen Night" episode of "The Masked Singer" on Wednesday, April 17th, from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
The new episodes of 'The Masked Singer' Season 11 will release every Wednesday at 8 pm ET on FOX.