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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Masked Singer Season 11 Episode 6 “Transformers Night.”]
Finally being able to step on stage and sing under a mask was all about timing for the latest unmasked celebrity on the Fox hit.
As The Masked Singer Season 11 continued, so did the eliminations. And for Lovebird, it was (once again) the end of his time in the unscripted spotlight. Panelist Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg was right when she got on The Bachelor train of thought and eventually settled on none other than Colton Underwood.
Below, Underwood opens up about his time on the show and whether he’ll sing again.
What made you say yes to doing The Masked Singer? Did you have any hesitations? You did say you’d wanted to be on it.
Colton Underwood: Yeah, it just was the perfect time. I had been in talks to do it a few different times over my career, and this was the perfect time. I think after coming out, I really needed to take some time to invest in myself and invest in my coming out experience, both privately and personally. But when this offer came in, my life was in a great spot. I had just gotten married, and the timing was perfect.
Talk about that costume. What appealed to you about being the Lovebird? It looked like you could move around in it as much as you needed to.
Yeah, I definitely did not feel overheated. There was a lot of space for me to move in with it, but I think what was beautiful about the Love Bird is just with my journey to self-acceptance and love. I think outside of the obvious reasons of me being the Lovebird, with being the former Bachelor, finding love with myself over 2020 and 2021 and then finding love when I wasn’t even looking for it with Jordan is so symbolic and I couldn’t have thought of a better character for me.
What went into your song choices?
I think just really leaning into obviously songs that I felt like I could actually have a grip on and handle in a good way, but also still challenging, but then lyrics—music has always been sort of a therapy for me and I’ve really leaned into lyrics and the meaning for me. I think what’s beautiful about music is things can mean different things to different people, and that’s definitely something that’s been always present with me in my life.
Did you have any songs or a genre given the theme nights in mind if you continued on?
I definitely probably would’ve leaned into some country and that alternative rock that you saw me with. So I think country would’ve been probably my next up.
Talk about the panelists guesses. Jenny figured you out after coming close in your first episode and then going back and forth between you and Nick Viall.
Yeah, obviously they had great guesses. I think the Bird costume threw ’em off a little bit with just how big it was, so they couldn’t really get an idea of outside of just how tall I was, what I looked like underneath there. So they had great guesses. I think the clue packages were awesome and really leaned into everything in my past.
Did you come into this expecting anyone specific from the panel to figure you out?
I didn’t. I had spoken and worked with Jenny in the past, so I had some hesitations that she might get it. I also know that she’s a huge reality TV fan, so anybody in that [world], she sort of sniffs out, so I knew if anybody was going to guess me it was going to be her.
Have you been hearing from anyone—friends, family, anyone from Bachelor Nation—since your first performance, who knew it was you and you had to deny it?
Yes, there’s been a few people. I told my immediate family about the project just because they love to support me and know. But the rest of them don’t, and they do watch. That’s what I love about The Masked Singer is that it is a family show and families really bond over this and it’s such a fun thing for kids to watch, so I can’t wait to hear their reactions tonight.
One of the clues was that you’ve made TV history before and you’re looking to do that again by winning the Golden Mask. How would you have made TV history by winning the Golden Mask?
Oh, I just think because I have no business winning that it would’ve been very unlucky if I went there. I think what shocks me the most is I’m a very competitive person. However, I wasn’t as competitive as I normally am. I was more leaning into just being uncomfortable and having such a fun experience with this and less about focusing on winning, which I think is beautiful and taught me a whole new side of myself.
This show really has people embrace doing that with its format. People enjoy watching it for the entertainment value.
It’s such a brilliant and beautiful show. It’s not exploitative. There’s no bad angle, there’s no plot that they’re looking to exploit. It’s just all about fun and happiness and storytelling and entertainment and dance and energy. It’s a beautiful, beautiful project.
What will you take away from the entire experience?
I can do anything that feels uncomfortable and I can really enjoy it. I think that it really gave me a lot of confidence to continue to say yes and try new things in my life.
What surprised you the most about being on The Masked Singer besides that you weren’t as competitive as usual?
I think just the coordination piece. In grade school, in high school, I didn’t take music classes. I was more of an athlete, so being able to express myself in that way as someone who listens to music and has an appreciation for artists and music, getting to get on stage and try it was incredible.
Is singing something you want to continue doing now going forward?
In the shower, that’s about it. I will limit my future singing to my husband and in the shower. … It is not a career that I’m going to focus on.
Is there anything else you want to share about your time on The Masked Singer?
Just that I had a lovely experience and it was something that I feel like any other celebrity or somebody out there that’s doubting themselves or doesn’t know if they can do it, challenge yourself a little bit and say yes.
Would you put the costume on again if they brought you back for some kind of performance?
Oh, I would 100 percent put that Lovebird costume back on.
The Masked Singer, Wednesdays, 8/7c, Fox