Was there ever any doubt who it was under that mask?
The Big Picture
- Vanessa Hudgens was revealed as the winner of
The Masked Singer
Season 11, playing as the Goldfish. - Her recognizable voice made it less fun to guess her identity, causing an anti-climatic season.
- Season 11 had a diverse lineup of celebrities, but Hudgens stood out due to her known voice.
Another season of celebrities singing songs under the guise of outrageous mascots is over. After thirteen episodes of unmasking, it was revealed that the winner of The Masked Singer Season 11 was the Goldfish, a character that had been highly publicized even before the season began. Fans knew she was going to go far, so it was just a matter of time that the obvious was revealed. So who was behind the mask? None other than Vanessa Hudgens! And fans knew it the moment she sang Olivia Rodrigo‘s “Vampire” during the premiere. With her voice being so recognizable, it made this season less fun to play along with, as it was just a waiting game until she revealed who she was. As much as The Masked Singer celebrates fantastic voices, it suffers when it’s too obvious for too long.
Since exploding all over following the success of the Korean iteration, King of Mask Singer, The Masked Singer has been one of the most sought-after gigs for celebrities. A silly guessing game with no stakes, The Masked Singer tasks a fame-spanning lot of celebrities as they sing hit songs in over-the-top costumes. With 11 seasons in the can, The Masked Singer has had a plethora of names take to the stage as the audience and panel scream at them to “take it off” as The Who‘s “Who Are You” plays underneath. Sticking to a similar formula season after season, Season 11 did have one slight change, as Rita Ora replaced Nicole Scherzinger on the guessing panel, joining Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, and Ken Joeng. With sixteen acts taking The Masked Singer stage, the season ended as expected, with the most anti-climatic reveal possibly in show history.
The Masked Singer
- Release Date
- 2019-00-00
- Cast
- Nick Cannon , Jenny McCarthy , Nicole Scherzinger , Ken Jeong
- Main Genre
- Game Show
- Seasons
- 10
- Network
- FOX
Goldfish Left It All on the ‘Masked Singer’ Stage
As The Masked Singer has shifted its format, giving the celebrities less show time through various heats and groups, this season was divided into three groups. Needing only about six episodes to get to the season finale, it all came down to Gumball and Goldfish. Whether the live studio audience actually votes or the producers determine the results ahead of time, Goldfish prevailed, winning the eleventh season. But she could be revealed, Gumball turned out to be actor and singer Scott Porter of Friday Night Lights fame. And then it came down to the final reveal.
As expected, since the very first performance was posted on YouTube before the season began, Goldfish was stage, screen, and red carpet star Vanessa Hudgens. For fans who have grown up with her in their lives in some capacity, they didn’t need any of the obscure clues divvied out during the season. Her vocals were instantly recognizable. Yet, the High School Musical star dominated in every single performance she gave. The Masked Singer journey for Vanessa Hudgens wasn’t about trying to stump the panel or get the audience in a tizzy about her identity, it was a celebration of Vanessa Hudgens showcasing her talent. After her unmasking, Vanessa shared that being the Goldfish gave her the freedom to do something she loved. She got emotional as this experience filled her soul.
Vanessa Hudgens broke into the world of entertainment thanks to her infamous portrayal of Gabrielle Montez in the High School Musical trilogy. Her character in the movies fit her to a T as the timid and shy girl matched her pure and soft instrument. Vanessa Hudgens has such a unique and distinct tone that has pervaded pop culture for years thanks to her illustrious resume. She has since appeared on Broadway in the revival of Gigi, starred in Grease Live!, and Rent: Live on television, was featured in the film adaptation of Tick, Tick…Boom!, and has put out a pair of studio albums. While she’s known predominantly as an actress, having so much music connected to her resume made her presence on The Masked Singer obvious.
Vanessa Hudgens’ distinct tone is what has made her a go-to casting choice. You can literally close your eyes and know it’s her. But on a show like The Masked Singer, the fun in the game for viewers is to play along. If you don’t need the clues because the celebrity simply opens their mouth, where’s the fun in that? As much as it was a joy to listen to Vanessa Hudgens span her range from Queen to Al Green to Alanis Morissette, she didn’t try to change up or mask her voice enough to fool anyone. And that’s OK. She had the time of her life and allowed the show to spotlight the vocal prowess she has. But like many celebrities who are signed on specifically for a short period of time, coming in as a Wild Card or one-episode surprise, just to get the chance to experience the show, it may have been best for this superstar to take one for the team and let the mystery that the show builds prevail.
Every Winner On ‘The Masked Singer,’ Ranked
These winners sung their hearts out, and won!
‘The Masked Singer’ Season 11 Had Diverse But Unsurprising Talent
As every season of The Masked Singer does, fans are greeted with an assortment of diverse talent, spanning the entire universe of entertainment, sports, and politics. The Masked Singer Season 11 was no different. The show was able to balance its cast with a spattering of A-List names with stars that you could recognize their faces but couldn’t place their names. This season, host Nick Cannon said the contestants boasted a combined total of 22 Grammy nominations, 11 platinum albums, 33 Teen Choice nominations, 108 million records sold, 1.7 billion Spotify streams, and 326 film appearances. Not too shabby!
For season 11, the line-up included Vanessa Hudgens as Goldfish, Scott Porter as Gumball, singing legend Thelma Houston as Clock, This Is Us star Chrissy Metz as Poodle Moth, American Idol alums Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard as Beets, teen idol Corey Feldman as Seal, legendary actress Jenifer Lewis as Miss Cleocatra, star of The Office Kate Flannery as Starfish, The Gap Band led vocalist Charlie Wilson as Ugly Sweater, NFL star DeMarcus Ware as Koala, gay BachelorColton Underwood as Lovebird, 00s R&B sensation Sisqó as Lizard, Access Hollywood‘s Billy Bush as Sir Lion, restauranteur Joe Bastianich as Spaghetti and Meatballs, reality star Savannah Chrisley as Afghan Hound, and A-list actor Kevin Hart as Book. With this group, there were certainly personalities that were known for their voices, but none at the level of Vanessa Hudgens. With a little more mystery surrounding the majority of this cast, The Masked Singer kept its integrity.
The Masked Singer has attracted some of the wildest names in the world of pop culture to participate in their silly little show. And fans have yet to get their fill. As the show continues, hopefully there won’t be another situation where a stand-out like Vanessa Hudgens gets figured out from the jump. Sure, the celebrity panelists do their best acting when they pretend not to know the celebrity over an extended period of episodes. Regardless, if there are only a few obvious characters throughout the season, it’s not the end of the world. The fans won’t be going anywhere. The Masked Singer has been and will be must-see television.
The Masked Singer are available to stream on Hulu.
This article was originally published on collider.com