Poodle Moth is used to getting second chances. This season on The Masked Singer she was saved from the brink of elimination by the Ding Dong Keep It On Bell, and it turns out that her impressive Masked Singer Season 11 run gave her a second chance in another, even more surprising way.
On Wednesday, during The Masked Singer's quarterfinals, this cuddly crooner was revealed to be actress/singer Chrissy Metz, who in recent years has become a This Is Us superstar and even recorded an Oscar-nominated Diane Warren ballad, "I'm Standing With You." But Chrissy probably never imagined she'd be standing onstage in a Poodle Moth costume, finally getting her chance to sing on Fox TV... 17 years after being rejected by American Idol.
Speaking with Music Times' Lyndsey Parker in 2020 during a SiriusXM interview promoting her single "Actress," Chrissy described her Season 6 open-call Idol audition as "really exciting" and a "cool experience," but realized that that talent show's crafty editing and typecasting could've damaged her long-term career. She sang "Heavy" from Dreamgirls and was so annoyed by the apathetic reaction from the open-call talent-screeners that day, after she'd waited for hours in the sun to audition for 30 seconds, that she spontaneously protested. Two Idol employees then "came over and asked what happened. ... And I'm sure they were thinking, 'Oh, she's going to be a hoot or a mess, so let's have her audition again!' So, they said, 'Well, sing for us.' And I sang again. And they gave me a ticket to go through," Chrissy recalled.
That last-minute reprieve advanced Chrissy to the next round, where she sang for executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller, but she suspected that they were hoping she'd be a loose cannon or trainwreck and go viral. "I do think that they were trying to pull something out of me. ... I think that they were like, 'Oh, she's definitely outspoken; either way, she's going to make good TV!'" she theorized. (Chrissy was also wary that Idol might want to exploit her painful past, including a contentious relationship with her stepfather, to create a made-for-television sob story.) In the end, she realized, "I don't think I could have hacked it. I think I was way too sensitive to handle that, and it was too much pressure. ... I would probably not be remotely OK on that show! I think I would have just been a puddle of tears."
On The Masked Singer, however, the disguised Chrissy felt free to deliver several sensitive, emotional, and definitely tear-jerking performances (including "The House That Built Me," inspired by her traumatic childhood). So, even though she was wearing a ridiculously fluffy outfit, she was able to perform as herself, on her own terms. And while this week's cover of Jessie J's "Price Tag" was much more light-hearted, the Poodle Moth's bittersweet farewell nearly had the judges in tears.
"I have to say, this is what a great actress and artist you are. You're just accessing your emotions... we felt it. I really mean that. It got to us," said judge Ken Jeong after the Poodle Moth's reveal.
Chrissy then explained why she decided to give The Masked Singer a try: "I still think I'm educating people on me being a singer, so that part of my reason for doing this show. I'm like, "OK, we're really going full-throttle! ... I was like, 'Let me challenge myself.' And I'm glad I did, because I learned a lot about myself."
We are now only two weeks away from The Masked Singer Season 11 finale, and we are down to the final three. So, let's get back to the guessing. Who are the Clock, Gumball, and Goldfish? Read on.
The Clock, "Get on Your Feet"
This timeless diva had everyone on their feet with her funky Gloria Estefan cover. "I have no doubt that we're gonna see you all the way, girl," Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg told her, while Robin Thicke declared the Clock "one of the most soulful singers we've ever had on the show" and agreed that this performance would be "hard to beat."
The clues: Her marriages "didn't work out," but they resulted in two "beautiful children." She was a young mother, and her career is now a "family affair," as her son works closely with her. (When her son surprised her by calling in to Wednesday's episode, she risked rusting up her costume's inner clockwork when she started weeping.) She was up for one of her industry's "most prestigious awards," but she didn't think she had a chance of beating fellow nominees Aretha Franklin and Natalie Cole, so she stayed home cleaning... only to win and deliver her acceptance speech, alone in her kitchen, to her mop. She once "had the whole world dancing from dusk till dawn," but after music fads changed, she "reinvented" herself and achieved "massive success again" on her own terms. She has performed for a president and the Pope, and has a "day in her name." Visual clues have included a gold record, golden globe, "WAKE UP" clock, T-shirt with a "SWEET" iron-on, disco ball, baby doll, the Mississippi River, and car motor (possibly a Detroit/Motown reference).
Judges' guesses: Stephanie Mills, a member of Sister Sledge, and Shirley Bassey.
My guess: I won't leave you this way, hanging in suspense. This has to be Thelma Houston. Thelma is a Mississippi native, a former Motown signing, a thrice-married mother of two (who has recorded music with her son, Rodney), and a disco diva who became a TV star. She has performed at the Golden Globes. Jan. 24 is Thelma Houston Day in the City of West Hollywood. She has songs called "Sweet Love That I've Found" and "Wake Up Everybody," and more than one song with "Baby" in the title. She performed for the Pope in 1995 as a member of the Sisters of Glory, and at Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration as part of the Out for Equality Ball. And if all that wasn't enough, her signature song "Don't Leave Me This Way" won the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Grammy — over Aretha and Natalie — in 1978, but she skipped the ceremony and stayed home scrubbing her kitchen floor. I've clocked this one!
The Gumball, "I'm Yours"
Gumball admitted that he was "amazed" that he made it to the quarterfinals. And to be honest, he should not have won last week's smackdown over two actual American Idol icons, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, or maybe not even this week's "If I Could Turn Back Time" smackdown against the Poodle Moth. But he came to tonight's show ready to silence all doubts — including his own. Jenny said he had a "beautiful tone" and "amazing voice" that belonged in a boy band, and she assured him, "You should be so proud to be here."
The clues: This Southern boy and former athlete had a rough start his career and his "heart of a superhero" took a "beating," so he "did anything and everything to get an audience": Off-Broadway roles, beatboxing on the street, performing at theme parks, even getting booed off the stage of a talent competition. His wife was "diagnosed with a disease that will impact her later in life," so they choose to live every day to its fullest, right now. Visual clues have included a doctor's uniform, angel wings, spider, globe, bowling pins, horse-drawn carriage, three-piece band, and heart-shaped clock. He's also worked with Channing Tatum.
Judges' guesses: James Van Der Beek, Derek Hough, and Taran Killam.
My guess: I've chewed on Gumball's clues, and I believe this sticky-and-sweet singer is Friday Night Lights actor and Channing's 10 Years co-star, Scott Porter. Scott has voiced superhero characters, including some in the Spider-Man franchise. Various heart and Southern clues, along with the doctor outfit, are references to Scott's role in the CW medical show Hart of Dixie. Scott appeared in a 2004 Off-Broadway production of Altar Boyz, beatboxed in an a cappella group, worked at Orlando amusement parks before he was famous, and appeared on Star Search. But the biggest tipoff is his sad story about how "Mrs. Gumball's" damning diagnosis: Scott's wife of 11 years has tested positive for the Huntington's Disease gene, meaning that she will eventually face the effects of that incurable disease.
The Goldfish, "Unforgettable"
This performance lived up to its song title, for sure. It was just so magical, ethereal, and lovely. "We will remember you forever after that," gushed judge Nicole Scherzinger's Season 11replacement, Rita Ora.
The clues: Goldfish felt "a lot of pressure" to be a "role model" and "perfect" after she became a teenage sensation, but she "reinvented herself" later in her career. She found "dating in Hollywood" to be very difficult, and being "a splash overnight" made her feel like she was "living in a fishbowl," so she "decided to dive into deeper, darker, edgier waters" with her creative choices. The night before she played her "dream role," she received the "worst news I could have ever imagined: I lost my No. 1 supporter," but she "reached down inside and found the courage to perform." Visual clues have included a vampire bat, Christmas snow globe, and glass slipper.
Judges' guesses: Hillary Duff, Julianne Hough, and on-hiatus Masked Singer judge Nicole Scherzinger. (That last guess would be huge if true, but this is not Nicole.)
My guess: This is definitely Julianne Hough's Grease Live! co-star, Vanessa Hudgens, whose father died from cancer the night before that Fox broadcast. (Vanessa ended up giving the performance of her career as Rizzo, earning critical raves.) Vanessa's famous Hollywood paramours have included Zac Efron and Austin Butler, and she struggled to be a role model, transitioning to adulthood in the public eye, especially after a leaked nude photo scandal in 2007. She has starred in a few indie arthouse films since her Disney days, including playing a vampire in Freaks of Nature. She's also starred in several holiday movies, like the Princess Switch trilogy and The Knight Before Christmas. And now, playing the Goldfish, I suspect she's going to swim all the way to the winner's circle.
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