Talk to anybody who watched last year’s Bring Her Back, and they’re very likely to bring up the cantaloupe scene as something that haunts them to this day. Horror filmmakers know there’s something about teeth and eyes that can turn even the sturdiest of stomachs, but it’s even worse when it’s real. Jenny McCarthy has apparently been fighting some serious infections, and her story about botched dental work and eye growths is as terrifying as any upcoming horror movie.

Jenny McCarthy opened up on Maria Menounos’ Heal Squad podcast about how a trip to the dentist led to “six months of living hell in my mouth.” It all started with an infected root canal, which she chose to have cleaned out rather than pulled when it began to cause swelling to her face. Then, McCarthy said:

The Masked Singer judge said she began undergoing surgeries to clean out pools of toxins underneath where her wisdom teeth had been, and she had another root canal pulled, but the infections kept coming. As horrifying as it is to think about constant mouth infections even after eight surgeries, it got worse from there. Jenny McCarthy told the host:

There have been plenty of terrifying eye scenes in movies, and what Jenny McCarthy said next fits right along with any of them. She continued:

Please don’t ever say “oozing infection coming through my eye” ever again, OK? Thanks. As the mouth and eye infections continued, with the surgeries and antibiotics not working, her doctor said something deeper must be happening, so she tested the actress for mold. Ding ding ding! The former View co-host said:

Jenny McCarthy said because of her weaker immune system, her body wasn’t able to fight off the mycotoxins, and they buried themselves in her gut, nose and sinuses by her eyes. The doctor said she was even at risk of having seizures.

The actress started a “heavy-duty mold protocol” in January that she says will likely last a year, and while it sounds like she’s still in the middle of her battle, at least she finally knows what was causing all of her issues and can stop oozing things from her eyes.

You can catch Jenny McCarthy on the Season 14 finale of The Masked Singer when it hits the 2026 TV schedule at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, April 1, on Fox and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.

In the final two decades of the 20th century, and the early years of the 2000s, MTV was the place to go for all things music, entertainment, and pop culture with all kinds of iconic shows, specials, and music videos. While all-time great cartoons like Beavis and Butthead and mega-popular music shows like Total Request Live will never be forgotten, there are quite a few programs that have simply been lost to time.

Here are 32 MTV shows you’ve probably forgotten about or never knew existed in the first place…

Dial MTV (1986 - 1991)

Though there are certain readers who’ll remember Dial MTV, there’s a large portion of the channel’s audience who either don’t recall the daily music video countdown or were born well after the show ended its five-year run in 1991. For those who weren’t around, just imagine Total Request Live, but with more hair-metal and ‘80s pop.

The Grind (1992 - 1997)

Back when fitness shows were all the rage, MTV put out The Grind, a long-running dance-centric workout series that featured music videos, performances, celebrity guests, and all kinds of dancing. Filmed in various locations around the country, including NYC, Hawaii, Florida, and California, The Grind was something you had to experience.

Total Request (1998)

Before there was Total Request Live, or TRL as it’s been known over the years, there was Total Request. The short-lived show, which was also hosted by Carson Daly, consisted of a daily countdown of videos, but without the insanity, screaming fans, or random celebrity guests that made its successor much-watch TV in the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

MTV Live (1997 - 1998)

In 1997, MTV Live launched and laid the groundwork for TRL the following year. And while it didn’t feature a daily countdown like its successor, Live did have celebrity appearances, music video premieres, reports from MTV News, and allowed the network to show off its brand new studio in the heart of Times Square.

WebRIOT (1999 - 2000)

There have been a lot of great game shows over the years, and while webRIOT may not be on that list, the short-lived series was groundbreaking in its time. Debuting in 1999, the interactive game show allowed viewers to participate in daily trivia contests via the internet, which made it a fun experience during its short run. Oh, and Ahmet Zappa served as the over-the-top and eccentric host.

Next (2005 - 2008)

MTV put out so many dating shows once the genre took off in the 2000s, and one of the most absurd was Next. Basically, a person would go on a series of blind dates with up to five other single people before deciding on who they’d like to see again. The best part was that some of the prospective daters wouldn’t even make it off the bus before the contestant yelled “Next!” and sent them packing.

Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes (1985 - 1987)

Andy Warhol was one of the most iconic and transformative artists of the 20th century, so it should come as no surprise that the pop artist had his own MTV show back in the ‘80s. Lasting two years, Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes featured interviews with musicians like the Ramones and Debbie Harry, and artists like William S. Burroughs and Yoko Ono, which made for wild and unpredictable TV.

12 Angry Viewers (1997 - 1998)

12 Angry Viewers was an MTV music video show that went beyond being a daily countdown. During the show’s admittedly way-too-brief of a run, a group of 12 music fans would watch and rate different videos, with the winner of each episode getting more airtime on the network. Though there were some great moments like when the jury couldn’t get enough of Daft Punk’s “Around the World,” there were others where the panel berated videos into obscurity.

You Wrote It, You Watch It (1993)

Throughout the early-to-mid 1990s, MTV made a few additions to the list of best sketch comedy shows, but it also put out some that have been largely forgotten. Just look at You Wrote It, You Watch It, a short-lived series that had Jon Stewart as the host and members of The State comedy group before they got their own show. Featuring recreations of letters sent by viewers, the show was absolutely bonkers, which makes its fate even more depressing.

Bully Beatdown (2009 - 2011)

Back in 2009, MTV launched Bully Beatdown, a show in which MMA fighters would defend bullying victims by taking on their oppressors in the octagon. Hosted by Jason “Mayhem” Miller, the show ran for three seasons and featured multiple bullies on the receiving end of some gnarly blows.

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003)

There have been some great Spider-Man shows over the years, but also some that aren’t remembered as fondly, or at all. This is the case for Spider-Man: The Animated Series, a 2003 cell-shaded cartoon following Peter Parker (Neil Patrick Harris) as he tries to protect NYC from various threats. For some reason, the show never caught on.

Just Say Julie (1989 - 1992)

Hosted by longtime MTV VJ Miss Julie Brown, Just Say Julie combined elements of comedy and traditional music video countdowns to create a unique and hilarious experience. Debuting in the late ‘80s, this Friday night program had everything you’d want: the latest and greatest videos, outrageous comedy bits, and a chaotic energy that was present throughout.

The Sifl And Olly Show (1998 - 1999)

Before Liam Lynch took the world by storm with his 2003 surprise hit song “United States of Whatever,” he co-created The Sifl and Olly Show with Matt Crocco. Combining surrealist, absurdist, and sock puppets, the short-lived series was a hoot back in the summer of 1998. It was lo-fi, it was odd, and it was ridiculous, but this oft-forgotten show about two close-knit friends was something to behold.

Making The Video (1999 - 2009)

From 1999 to 2009, MTV put out Making the Video, a docuseries about the development, production, and release of music videos from the likes of Britney Spears to Sisqo and Blink 182 to Eminem. You’d get so much great behind-the-scenes footage before the video finally premiered, which often made for an engaging and entertaining experience.

Wonder Showzen (2005 - 2006)

Despite its appearance, Wonder Showzen was not a kids program, but instead a parody geared more towards adults. With animated sequences, puppets, kids saying some wild stuff, and so much more, there was one absurd moment after another.

Cartoon Sushi (1997 - 1998)

Following the conclusion of Liquid Television, MTV gave Cartoon Sushi a go. A collection of international cartoons, including one from Magnus Carlsson, the artist behind Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” music video. You never knew what you were going to get, which created a unique and diverse viewing experience.

Fear (2000 - 2002)

Back in 2000, MTV unleashed Fear upon the world. Over the course of two seasons, the show followed groups of strangers as they were tasked with conducting intense and frightening paranormal investigations in old prisons, hospitals, factories, and schools. Creepy, atmospheric, and challenging at times, the show was a great addition to the genre.

Human Giant (2007 - 2008)

Before they were big stars, Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, and Paul Scheer starred in the short-lived sketch comedy show, Human Giant. Around for just over a year, the hilarious and unique series had some great moments before it came to an end.

A Shot At Love With Tila Tequila (2007)

When it comes to dating competition shows, A Shot at Love with Tila Tequilla is in a league of its own. Featuring both male and female contestants vying for the affection of the internet celebrity, this show was raucous, crude, absurd, and top-notch comedy (both intentional and unintentional).

Austin Stories (1997 - 1998)

Way back in the ‘90s, when Austin wasn’t the megacity or tech capital it's known as today, it was a modest and strange city deep in the heart of Texas. That atmosphere and sensibility were at the center of the short-lived MTV sitcom called Austin Stories. Consisting of only 12 episodes, the cult show followed three locals as they explored the growing city and attempted to make sense of its weird characters.

Al TV (1984 - 1999)

Weird Al was so ahead of his time, and that is seen in his AL TV comedy series. This series of specials was released between 1984 and 2006 and saw the prolific singer-songwriter and polka legend as he showcased videos, worked on bits, and parodied pretty much everything MTV represented at various times in its existence.

Parental Control (2005 - 2010)

MTV was really throwing everything at the wall to see what would stick in the mid-to-late 2000s, which is how we got Parental Control. Over the course of five years, this show allowed parents to set their son or daughter up with new romantic partners in hopes they would dump their current significant other. There were some funny moments, some painfully awkward moments, and others that defied logic or reason.

Totally Pauly (1990 - 1994, 1996)

Did you know that Pauly Shore had his own MTV show? Well, he did. From 1990 to 1994 and then again in 1997, the Bio-Dome and Son in Law star hosted Totally Pauly, which was essentially a combination of an interview show, a comedy special, and a music video showcase.

Undressed (1999 - 2002)

MTV got into the soap opera game before the end of the ‘90s with Undressed, a steamy anthology series about young love, lust, and increasingly risque situations. Controversial at the time, Undressed ran for six seasons and featured up-and-coming actors like Pedro Pascal, Adam Brody, Christina Hendricks, and Katee Sackhoff.

Remote Control (1987–1990)

Remote Control was on MTV for five seasons between 1987 and 1990, and during that time, the show saw countless contestants duke it out to see who knew the most about popular music, movies, and television. With skits, a wild set, and a list of hosts that included Ken Ober and Colin Quinn, there was so much to love.

The Jenny McCarthy Show (1997)

After leaving Singled Out, Jenny McCarthy launched her own sketch comedy show in 1997. The Jenny McCarthy Show, which featured hilarious sketches, hilarious situations, and great musical performances from the era’s biggest bands, was only around for 19 episodes before calling it quits.

Rockumentary (1989–1997)

VH1 had Behind the Music, but MTV had Rockumentary. Though not as self-serious as its counterpart, this long-running docuseries did offer fans a peek behind the curtain of their favorite bands of the era. Metallica, Eric Clapton, R.E.M., Aerosmith, and more were all featured on the program before it ended in 1997.

Rich Girls (2003)

Before there was Keeping Up with the Kardashians there was Rich Girls, a short-lived reality show about Jaime Gleicher and Ally Hilfiger, two mainstays of the NYC socialite scene in the early 2000s. Ahead of its time, this series bounced between the Big Apple and places like Los Angeles, London, and the Hamptons.

The Brothers Grunt (1994 - 1995)

Not all MTV animated shows were a hit, which was the case for The Brothers Grunt, a short-lived cartoon that ran on the network in the mid-90s. Created by Danny Antonucci, who’d go on to make Ed, Edd n Eddy on Cartoon Network before the end of the decade, the forgotten series centered on five humanoids trying to find their brother.

MTV Sports (1992 - 1997)

Hosted by Dan Cortese and Gabrielle Reece, MTV Sports hit when extreme sports were taking over the sports landscape in the mid-1990s. On the air for five years, this docuseries featured everything from skateboarding to basketball and snowboarding to all kinds of watersports. It was radical, it was tubular, and sadly, it’s forgotten.

Diary (1999 - 2014)

Launched in 2000, Diary was a very personal and intimate docuseries that followed the lives of artists like Aaliyah, Jack Black, Hilary Duff, Eminem, and Britney Spears, to name only a few. With the slogan “You think you know, but you have no idea” is something that many remember years later, even if they don’t have any idea about the show.

Room Raiders (2003 - 2009)

Room Raiders is one of those shows that’s probably better off being forgotten. Basically, a person would go through three prospective dates’ bedrooms to learn more about them and see how they live their lives before making a decision.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Masked Singer's Thanksgiving episode "Peanuts Night." Stream it with a Hulu subscription and read at your own risk!

While I think The Masked Singer's "Peanuts Night" was sorely lacking in songs tied to Charlie Brown and crew, I still think the holiday episode was a massive success for Fox. The network already has me looking forward to more holiday episodes hitting the 2025 TV schedule, especially after an unexpected cameo from a major director that was handled quite wonderfully.

Before this episode, I thought I'd seen enough shocking reveals on The Masked Singer that nothing would stun me. Now, I'm eating crow with a side of pumpkin pie after being as shocked as I've ever been by seeing a celebrity wasn't even under any of the masks. Let's talk about it.

Taika Waititi Made A Surprise Appearance As "Rita Ora's Husband"

The Masked Singer's Thanksgiving special featured a video segment with holiday messages recorded by the cast's family for the host and panel. We saw messages from a few of Nick Cannon's many children, Ken Jeong's wife, Robin Thicke's children, and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg's husband, Blue Bloods star Donnie Wahlberg, and their kids. We also saw Rita Ora's significant other appear, and while he was only referred to her "Husband" in the episode, many know him quite well as director and actor Taika Waititi.

Yes, Rita Ora is married to the director who brought us Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit, What We Do in the Shadows and so much more. So anyone who thought they might've recognized him but weren't aware of their marriage or hilarious scaring videos together on social media, now you know.

'I'm sure some of the viewers watching The Masked Singer may not even have known he was anyone of note at all, and thus had no reason to consider "Rita Ora's husband" as being anything but an apt descriptor.

Why I Love How The Masked Singer Handled Featuring Him

There was a chance for The Masked Singer to brag and name-drop Taika Waititi as being part of their show, and I think the Fox series probably would have pulled that kind of promotional move in earlier seasons. He's a big deal in Hollywood, and with the episode airing on Thanksgiving and potentially drawing more viewers who don't regularly tune in, I could see the temptation to feature as many worthy names as possible in promos.

I credit the show for resisting the temptation to the point that Taika Waitit wasn't given any more notability than any other family members who appeared in the segment. Despite being a Hollywood director who may or may not be working on an upcoming Star Wars movie, he's just Rita Ora's husband when it comes to The Masked Singer,

Plus, the series had to close out its Group C Finals and didn't have time for everything it already planned. Royal Knight was eliminated and revealed to be actress and singer Jana Kramer, and Sherlock Hound was former baseball star turned singer Bronson Arroyo. That means Strawberry Shortcake will advance to the quarter-finals of Season 12 and move one step closer to winning The Masked Singer.

The Masked Singer continues on Fox at its normal time on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm ready to see who will win this season and hope to find my front-runner pick as the quarter-finals approach.

Spoiler alert! This story contains the celebrity who was unmasked on the October 9 episode of The Masked Singer’s 12th season. Episodes can be streamed the next day with a Hulu subscription if you need to catch up.

The Masked Singer has returned to the 2024 TV schedule for Season 12, just months after crowning Vanessa Hudgens (formerly known as the Goldfish) the winner of the 11th season. Five costumed celebrities took the stage for the season premiere as Group A, and already we’ve sadly begun to say goodbye to them. (More on that lower down.) Which famous faces and voices hide behind the other elaborate set pieces? Here we’ll break down all the clues and give you our best Group A guesses.

This season features a special clue each week to help the panel; for instance, the Week 1 Ambassador was someone who not only has been on The Masked Singer before but also has a close connection to the celeb they introduced. Let’s get into it:

Buffalos

We got quite a surprise when the Buffalo was actually revealed in Week 1 to be a trio of singers. The three beasts moved into the Season 12 quarterfinals as we all fell in love with the singers in their red vests, boots and cowboy hats. They have certainly brought the energy, dancing around as the panelists dissect the clues, and they seem to be having a great time.

• Songs: “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve (Week 3); “Waiting for a Girl Like You” by Foreigner (Week 2); [I Just] Died in Your Arms” by Cutting Crew (Week 1).
• Special clues: Performed a halftime show in front of one of the world’s biggest audiences; Ambassador Nick Lachey gave them a golden crown with fleur-de-lis embellishments; a miniature tractor with “Mo-Town” written on the front.
• Clues: Week 3: Bell, Lost their real MacGyver but had to keep the herd together, Dead End sign, umbrella. Week 2: Cactus; Playing poker/poker chips; Bottle of poison with crossbones. Week 1: Raised in “poor grasslands”; kneeling football player on bus stop sign; Betty White, Vanna White and a blank third spot; film reel; Walk of Fame; starred in two of the biggest sitcoms of all time.
• Panel's guesses: Boyz II Men (Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg); Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (Ken Jeong); Black Eyed Peas (Rita Ora).

Our Best Guess

The Buffalos are sounding more and more like Boyz II Men to me, and the clues back it up. As Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg pointed out, the bell could be the Liberty Bell, which is in Philadelphia, and that connects to the “Mo-Town” clue. The “Dead End” sign could be for the group’s song “End of the Road.” In 1992 their tour manager Khalil Rountree was murdered, which fits with the clues about losing their “MacGyver.”

Boyz II Men also performed in the Super Bowl halftime show in 1998, and the kneeling man at the bus stop was “Down on Bended Knee”; but you’d think if it is Boyz II Men, Robin Thicke would know it, since he was a special guest at their four-night stint in Las Vegas this summer (and remember the clue about poker?).

Unmasked: Woodpecker

The Masked Singer has seen some wonderful avian costumes over the years, and the Woodpecker, aka actress Marsai Martin, can add itself to that list. The beautiful, red-and-black-feathered friend was unmasked in the Group A finals.

• Songs: “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae (Week 3); “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler (Week 2); “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus (Week 1).
• Special clues: Pair of glasses that remind her of how she got her start. Ambassador Jenifer Lewis gave her a World Record; Kevin Bacon’s sneaker from Footloose, which Woodpecker said alludes to someone in The Masked Singer family sharing her shoe obsession.
• Clues: Week 3: Comes from a long line of strong women, Regina Hall, hamburger, globe. Week 2: Director’s chair; started Hollywood career young; crates of peppers, carrots and other vegetables; Rubber Duck; small brown briefcase. Week 1: A mogul; friends with Beyoncé; red sports tape with the word “NEXT” on it; framed photo of the word “Family” on a gated entrance; striving to be the youngest billionaire; SAT test sheet.
• Panel's guesses: Quinta Brunson (Ken), Keke Palmer (Rita); Tatiana Ali (Jenny); Liza Koshy (Robin).

Connecting The Clues

The panel was stumped with this one, but Nick Cannon knew. He pointed out that Marsai Martin became the youngest executive producer in Hollywood at 14, which speaks to many of the clues about her career and the world record. The glasses are obviously a nod to her role on black-ish, as was the SAT test, and speaking of the beloved ABC sitcom, she gave us a big clue when talking about her love for shoes and someone sharing her “style-ish” obsession.

The sports tape clue was likely a reference to her boyfriend Rajah Caruth, who is a NASCAR driver, and her Ambassador was Jenifer Lewis — another actress from black-ish.

Unmasked: Ship

This was my favorite costume of The Masked Singer Group A, because who doesn’t love an inanimate object come to life? Unfortunately we said goodbye to The Ship, as Paula Cole was unmasked on October 9.

• Songs: “Because the Night” by Patti Smith (Week 3); “Almost Paradise” by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson (Week 2); “Pompeii” by Bastille (Week 1).
• Special clue: Letter from LeAnn Rimes congratulating her on Best New Artist win in 1998; Ambassador Jewel gave her a sparkling silver cowboy hat, and referenced working together many years prior; she’s worked with Melissa Etheridge.
• Clues: Week 3: Sang backup for an international singer, rowboat, John Wayne. Week 2: Medical boot; prom queen; class president; white cowboy boots; raven on a piano; shipwreck/aquarium. Week 1: Silver chalice; career set sail rapidly; she’s had massive hits; white toy plane with a clock on the front set at 11:36; Wanted poster with $15,000 reward; small old-fashioned TV set with rabbit ears that she moved into the shape of an X.
• Panel's guesses: Sarah McLachlan (Rita), Paula Cole (Jenny), Amy Lee (Robin); Alanis Morissette (Ken).

Connecting The Clues

The clues in the Group A finals further confirmed even before her unmasking that we were right about Paula Cole. She sang backup on Peter Gabriel’s world tour in 1993-94 and won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1998. We got another cowboy clue in John Wayne following previous weeks’ references to “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” and the rowboat was a nod to Dawson’s Creek, which she provided the theme song for.

Our reasoning in previous weeks stemmed from Paul Cole being prom queen and president of her senior class in high school. She broke her foot, which is when she turned her focus to music. The title of her sixth studio album is Raven, and Cole dueted with Melissa Etheridge on VH1. As was pointed out by Jenny McCarthy Wahlbert, Paula Cole and Jewel were both main-stage performers for the inaugural year of Lilith Fair.

Unmasked: Showbird

We bid farewell to the Showbird, as Yvette Nicole Brown was unmasked on the October 2 episode. Here’s how her run on the show played out:

• Songs: “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” by Deniece Williams (Week 2); "Just Fine" by Mary J. Blige (Week 1)
• Special clues: Ambassador Joel McHale gave her popcorn; music box that represented being part of a hip-hop empire in 1994.
• Clues: Week 2: Large rings; a windmill; purple cupcake; and a shout-out to her man. Week 1: Three microphones; was a tomboy growing up and self-described nerd; Advanced Singing 401 textbook; golden gavel; appeared in some of the biggest blockbusters of all time.
• Panel's guesses: Yvette Nicole Brown (Ken and Robin); Taraji P. Henson (Jenny and Rita); Sheila E. (Rita).

Connecting The Clues

Ken nailed it with his guess, and I was confident we’d made the right pick in Week 1 with Yvette Nicole Brown, largely because of the cadence of her voice, but the clues definitely backed it up. Everything she said about finding love referenced her fiancé, actor Anthony Davis, especially the fact that they reconnected after knowing each other for years. In 1994, she was part of the East Coast Family group that included Boyz II Men. The cupcake might have been a nod to her appearance on Cupcake Wars. There were also the Community-based clues in Joel McHale and a textbook.

The gavel possibly referenced her role as Judge Harper on A Black Lady Sketch Show, and she was in Avengers: Endgame — one of the biggest blockbusters of all time. The actress has described herself as a “nerd,” and is a well-known superfan of properties like Star Wars and The Walking Dead. Lego was mentioned amongst the clues, and Yvette Nicole Brown has voiced roles on several Lego movies for Marvel, DC and Star Wars.

First Eliminated Celebrity

• The Leaf Sheep — which yes, is apparently a real thing — was unmasked in the season premiere to reveal it was none other than Denver Broncos legend John Elway. The two-time Super Bowl champ (who the panelists thought might be Tom Brady) delivered a rousing performance Tim McGraw's "I Like It, I Love It," though perhaps one that didn't exactly remained on key.

Group A is going strong on The Masked Singer Season 12, and I can't wait to hear what else they bring in the coming weeks. New episodes air at 8 p.m. ET Wednesdays on Fox.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Masked Singer's Season 10 episode "One Hit Wonders Night." Read at your own risk!

The Masked Singer Season 10 returned after a brief break with "One Hit Wonders Night," and while it was yet another epic episode, it was a bit of a downer as the show said goodbye to another talented competitor. Hibiscus was eliminated, and while some of the panel were stumped on who was behind the mask, she wasn't fooling panelist Jenny McCarthy. Real Housewives alum Luann de Lesseps told CinemaBlend she wasn't surprised McCarthy guessed her right from the start for a few reasons beyond the fact that the judge is a fan of Bravo franchise. 

Luann de Lesseps took a break from her Countess Cabaret tour and decided to give The Masked Singer a whirl during its landmark season. Fox viewers and those with a Hulu subscription had a brief chance to guess her identity until Jenny McCarthy laid down definitive evidence that it was the Real Housewives star under the mask. I asked de Lesseps ahead of the episode's airing if she was shocked to be outed so quickly, and the reality star said it wasn't a surprise in the least: 

Typically, it wouldn't be too surprising for Jenny McCarthy to correctly guess a contestant's identity. She's often the best guesser of the bunch, though Ken Jeong has set a surprising new trend of being the guess master in Season 10. I think it was wild to see McCarthy get a correct guess with no hesitation whatsoever, but if it was as obvious as Luann de Lesseps indicated above, it's not too surprising. 

In addition to continuing her current cabaret show, Luann de Lesseps will be part of the cast for Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip later this year. The decision to turn what could've been a legacy show into a girls trip spinoff has been somewhat controversial with fans, though many are likely still pumped to see the Countess return. 

Unfortunately, we only saw some of her talent on The Masked Singer. She didn't last long in Group C, but her exit will clear the way for another wildcard competitor to step up and potentially be the new frontrunner for challengers to look out for. 

The Masked Singer Season 10 is every bit as entertaining as promised. I still haven't seen anyone as talented as the potential winner in the first two episodes, but there's a chance for another contestant to make a run. Until then, I'm looking forward to more wild themes and performances and maybe a few more surprises before the season wraps up. 

Catch new episodes of The Masked Singer on Fox on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. This is shaping up to be the best season the series has done yet, so let's hope it maintains that trend and keeps the momentum rolling for the next ten seasons. 

Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Masked Singer Season 10 episode "Elton John Night." Read at your own risk!

The Masked Singer is celebrating its tenth season and has thus far delivered big on wild themes and the return of classic throwback moments, with much more to come. While the show had plenty of fully planned-out surprises for TV viewers to experience in the first month of the season, I'm not sure the fans, producers, or any of the panelists could have predicted the what the most unexpected surprise would actually be: Dr. Ken Jeong on a legitimate hot streak. The notoriously shoddy guesser has correctly figured out the exiting celebrity performers in three of the four episodes that have aired to date.

Those who have watched the Fox series over the years know that while Ken Jeong can get lucky once a season — ma-a-a-aybe twice — he's generally far off the beaten path with his presumptions. That hasn't been the case in Season 10, and the panelists were once again gobsmacked to see Jeong get a correct guess after figuring out Royal Hen was pro tennis legend Billie Jean King. In fairness, he might've picked up on that fact simply from her singing Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom," which was written specifically as a nod to the accomplished athlete. It's a difficult song to sing for a professional singer, let alone someone who'd possibly never sang on TV before, and though she clearly gave it her all, the performance wasn't quite enough to last another week. But apparently Ken's mental powers will continue on.

Ken Jeong Has A Big Lead On The Other Panelists

The only doctor on The Masked Singer's panel is crushing it after landing his correct guess in four episodes. Before his latest correct guess, Ken Jeong had pegged actor Anthony Anderson as Rubber Ducky in the premiere and reality star Tom Sandoval as Diver. No one in the panel successfully identified Michael Rapaport as The Pickle, though that might have changed if they heard the actor psyching people out backstage with his signature DGAF bravado. 

In any case, Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, and Nicole Scherzinger have yet to get on Ken Jeong's level this season. This is especially shocking when it comes to McCarthy, who has historically been the most accurate one in the bunch. It's a shame the Golden Ear Trophy is seemingly gone from the show, as he'd have a good chance at earning the prize with this healthy lead. Which probably means he'll be making a personal appeal to bring it back at some point.

Can Ken Jeong Have His Best Season Yet On The Masked Singer?

Ken Jeong is on a roll, but can he sustain it for the rest of The Masked Singer Season 10? Past seasons, available to stream with a Hulu subscription, would show that this streak is truly unprecedented for the actor. With that said, he's had some pretty impressive gets over the years for all of his no good, bad, very terrible guesses. It was pretty impressive when he guessed actress Alicia Witt, and getting the non-singer Bill Nye The Science Guy was probably one of his (or anyone's) best guesses of all time. 

I think that Jeong has the wits and ability to continue this hot streak, but as the comedic relief panelist of The Masked Singer, is that what we want? So much humor in this show is pulled from his off-the-wall guesses and how he connects masked contestants to the most wild celebrities imaginable. Some folks may miss his humor if he's suddenly the master guesser, but I, for one, am here for Season 10 to be redubbed Season Ken!

The Masked Singer airs on Fox on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Season 10 is rolling along, but with Harry Potter night coming up, it would be a great time to catch up and join in for a magical evening. 

As The Masked Singer Season 10 gets underway, Season 11 is already being planned out, and it’s going to look a little different. It was recently announced that longtime panelist and former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger will be bowing out of the Fox competition series for a production of Sunset Boulevard on London’s West End. Singer Rita Ora will be temporarily taking her place. However, fellow panelist Jenny McCarthy already knows how she wants Scherzinger to come back to the series in a surprising way.

The idea of Scherzinger coming back as a masked singer and surprising the panelists has been floated around. It would be pretty entertaining to see, especially since no one would really expect it to happen. The New Year’s Rockin’ Eve co-host told ET that she had the same idea:

That would probably be the best unmasking in the show’s history. Plus, since she's been serving as a panelist this whole time, I can’t help but think how she would do as a masked singer. Also, I'd love to know what her costume would be. If Nicole Scherzinger came back in that way, she would definitely have to pay tribute to her Pussycat Dolls days. However, the more people think about it, the less of a surprise it would be. If she were to be a masked singer, it would likely completely catch people off guard.

As of now, it seems like Scherzinger’s departure is only temporary, but things could change. There’s no indication she’s planning on fully leaving The Masked Singer. If she ever does, though, McCarthy would be heartbroken, as would everyone else. She said:

Scherzinger’s departure marks the first time that a panelist has left The Masked Singer since the show’s premiere in 2019. Change on The Masked Singer is not easy, especially when something has been so consistent. McCarthy did stress that she’s excited for Rita Ora to join the family, noting she’s “the perfect person” considering she’s done The Masked Singer U.K. So at least Scherzinger’s replacement is familiar with the series. That doesn’t make the departure any less hard, though.

Luckily, Season 10 just started, and Nicole Scherzinger won’t be leaving until Season 11. Fans still have a few months to watch the singer throw in guesses for the mystery celebrity contestants. 

Season 10 returns on Wednesday, September 27 as part of the 2023 TV schedule, and I'm sure the season will include plenty of surprises. Going off of previous fall seasons, episodes will likely run through December. For now, Scherzinger won’t be going anywhere. She will be keeping Rita Ora’s seat warm for when she comes on board next year, and she'll likely be back for Season 12. 

You can stream new episodes of The Masked Singer on Fox or with a Hulu subscription. 

It’s hard to believe, but Fox's The Masked Singer is entering its tenth season. The show and its format have changed slightly over the years, but one element of the program has remained consistent – its judge’s panel. The quartet and host Nick Cannon have kept the audiences laughing and (and occasionally confused) for multiple seasons. As Season 10 is set to premiere soon, viewers may be wondering how much longer the stalwart panel will stay intact. With that, judges Jenny McCarthy and Robin Thicke weighed in on how long they plan to stay with the singing competition series.

The two stars always keep viewers on their toes alongside fellow judges Nicole Scherzinger and Ken Jeong. Amid memorable moments and questionable guesses, the group has truly endeared itself to Masked Singer viewers. Given how long they've all been on the show at this point though, it's easy to question the panel’s stability after such a lengthy stint. (Earlier this year, rival show The Voice said goodbye to longtime judge Blake Shelton.) But the comments Jenny McCarthy shared with ET should reassure fans about her own future with the series. She said:

It’s nice to know the two-time Golden Ear champ wants to stick around for a few more seasons -- though it'd be surprising if she actually stuck around for more than 20 additional ones. She's not alone in feeling that way, as fellow judge Robin Thicke pledged his commitment to stay on The Masked Singer for as long as possible. Thicke explained how his family factors into that rationale, saying:

The Grammy-winning singer is a family man so working on a weekly TV series for a few months fits his lifestyle. He has three children, who are under six. with his current fiancée as well as a 13-year-old son with actress Paula Patton. So all in all, doing a singing competition series of this nature makes sense for him right now.

Time has certainly flown by for The Masked Singer, which made series premiered in 2019. Even Robin Thicke couldn’t believe it as he says the whole experience “happened so fast.” He called the reality competition the best thing he’s “ever done” and “a blessing on top of blessing.”

Since the singing competition series premiered, numerous contestants have been unmasked named winners. Season 9 saw singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs crowned the champ, with American Idol’s David Archuleta becoming the runner-up. Archuleta mentioned that the Fox series helped him heal from his Idol experience while Briggs opened up about the challenges of filming after giving birth. Briggs joined the likes of Leann Rimes, Amber Riley and Teyana Taylor in the winner’s circle.

If the show continues to be a hit, then many more stars will be revealed in the years to come. And with that, Jenny McCarthy and Robin Thicke will indeed hopefully remain and make those wild guesses alongside their fellow judges.

The Masked Singer Season 10 will kick off with a special episode on September 10 at 8 p.m. EST on Fox. The Emmy-winning singing competition will eventually return to its regular night on September 27. Viewers will find out who’s behind costumes like Anteater and Hawk once the season kicks off. If you want to keep up with what’s premiering this fall amid the SAG-AFTRA actors and WGA writers strikes, check out CinemaBlend's 2023 TV schedule.

I’d assume that if you are a regular internet user, you saw Jenny McCarthy teamed up with Carmen Electra for a "wet hot" bikini photoshoot they did in coordination with Kim Kardashian's popular brand SKIMS. The two ‘90s stars are in their fifties now, but both of them still know how to rock a bikini, and in McCarthy's case, how to stun her husband Donnie Wahlberg while doing it. If you missed the initial campaign, here’s the gist: 

Alright, you’re all caught up. It wasn’t just fans who saw the popular new SKIMS posts, either. In fact, Jenny McCarthy is married to Blue Bloods actor Donnie Wahlberg. The two have been married since 2014, and he was recently just minding his own business on the treadmill at their home when he saw the ad. The Blue Bloods star shared his “red-blooded” reaction to seeing his wife’s year of the black bikini campaign. 

Despite Donnie Wahlberg being known for his dramatic work on Blue Bloods, the video’s pretty funny. In fact, we see the actor’s look of surprise as his wife gets sudsy before he falls off the treadmill. While it’s obviously a planned bit, I’m also pretty impressed that he went through with literally falling off the the exercise machine to sell the joke. Never say he’s a man who doesn’t commit!

McCarthy seemed pretty amused about her partner’s shenanigans, too, commenting underneath with a slew of emojis.

In the caption of the post, he also nodded to his wife’s past as a ‘90s icon with the comment, “Go Jenny! From ‘93 to ‘23! I’d say you 'still got it' but you never lost it, baby!” 

McCarthy saw a meteoric rise in the early nineties thanks to an appearance in Playboy in 1993. Later that year she landed the Playmate of the Year laud, which is likely what her husband is alluding to when he specified the year 1993 in his comment. By 1995, she’d parlayed the cover spread into a real entertainment career. She hosted the popular MTV series Singled Out in the mid-nineties. She took roles in movies like Scream 3 and John Tucker Must Die; for a time, she even appeared as a panelist on The View.

Of course, these days she hosts The Masked Singer alongside Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke and the occasional guest host, so she's very much still in the cultural zeitgeist. Her return to her cover girl roots with the SKIMS ad with Baywatch alum and OF star Carmen Electra on served to cement that. Ten points awarded to whatever Hogwarts house Kim Kardashian would belong to. 

All in all, it's not so bad still being an icon three decades later, whether you're hopping from New Kids on the Block to a CBS drama or hopping from the pages of Playboy to a Fox reality series. 

No need to check your calendar or reach for the TV Guide; we assure you, it is not 1997. Still, fans of the '90s can be forgiven for being confused as they were sent into a delightful frenzy on social media as two iconic bombshells from the era, Carmen Electra and Jenny McCarthy, set the internet ablaze with their latest social media post. In a nod to their Baywatch heyday, as if no time has passed, the duo donned black bikinis, trying out the newest summer trend as they showcased their sizzling chemistry while washing a car. Honestly, fans are not wrong about this one because the two look amazing. 

The video, which was posted by both of the stars on Instagram, serves as an endorsement for the popular Kim Kardashian co-founded brand SKIMS, and it has ignited a passionate response from fans who can't contain their excitement. The clip has triggered a wave of comments dripping in '90s nostalgia and memories, reminding everyone just how amazing Carmen Electra and Jenny McCarthy are. Their undeniable charm and magnetic presence continue to captivate audiences, leaving fans wanting more of their daring black bikini throwback. Prepare to be transported back to the golden age of Generation X as you watch the video below:

Despite being half centurions, Electra, 51, and McCarthy, 50, they effortlessly embody the vibrant spirit of a hot girl summer. The campaign enthusiastically celebrates their significant impact on pop culture while being a powerful reminder that their influence endures and their appeal hasn’t skipped a beat. The fans wholeheartedly agreed, with one Instagram user commenting:

Another user by the handle delightfully.dawn agreed. According to the fan, they couldn’t get over the fact that the video wasn’t an old ad, remarking:

Cultural commentator and writer Tiffany Jenkins wanted to know what sorcery was being used to keep the two stars looking so young. The British sociologist hilariously responded to the steamy video: 

A user reminisced about the shared history of these two beauties, recalling when Carmen Electra took over as host on the MTV dating game show after Jenny McCarthy's departure to pursue her own television show. The user wrote:

User Joeypapii says it left him longing for another MTV '90s mainstay, spring break. He commented on Carmen Electra's post:

The former Playboy models have a relatively long history of collaborating. They previously worked together on McCarthy's 2005 film Dirty Love, and they even appeared as animated opponents on MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch. It's refreshing to see them in a live-action setting, portraying less adversarial roles in their latest swimsuit advertisement.

Besides their swimwear modeling endeavors for one of the year’s most fashionable celebs, the two A-Listers keep themselves occupied in the entertainment industry. As it enters its tenth season, McCarthy is currently serving as a judge on Fox's popular show, The Masked Singer. Meanwhile, Electra is set to return to another iconic role, although not in her signature red one-piece as Lani McKenzie. Instead, she's venturing into something more family-friendly. The Scary Movie star has been confirmed for another nostalgic trip back to the '90s with the upcoming sequel to Good Burger.

Carmen Electra and Jenny McCarthy, though in their 50s, have maintained their stunning looks. The actresses have experienced a recent surge in interest, particularly Electra, after her appearance in The Last Dance documentary series, increasing searches about her on platforms like PornHub. But, overall, it's delightful to see how they have managed to keep the hearts of '90s fans aflutter with their enduring appeal.

Make sure to check our updated streaming schedule to see what's coming to the small screen soon. 

Have you ever watched a classic early-2000s movie and thought to yourself, “What in the world happened to that early-2000s actor?”

John Tucker Must Die (2006) is the perfect example of a movie that checks all the teen rom-com boxes. Dorky girl who’s actually hot? Check. Love triangle? Check. Varsity basketball team full of men that look way too old to be in high school? Double check. But, what became of the actors who created this piece of early-2000s culture? 

Luckily for fans of the movie, many of the actors have been pretty busy since the release of John Tucker Must Die. But, like many actors from any era of film and TV, you might have to look a little bit harder to track these stars down.

Here’s what all your favorite John Tucker Must Die actors have been up to lately, including the projects you can catch them in if you’ve been missing them in the nearly 20 years since the film came out.

Brittany Snow (Kate)

Shy outsider-turned-“it girl” Kate was played by Brittany Snow, a teen queen from this era of TV and movies.

Shortly after the release of John Tucker Must Die, Snow starred in Hairspray (2007) as Amber von Tussle, although most fans of the actress would probably first recognize her from her role in the Pitch Perfect movies as Chloe, the bubbly soprano whose vocal nodes turn her into a bass.

In the years since, Snow has starred in ore guested on a number of TV series, including Ben and Kate, Full Circle, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Almost Family, as well as the A24 horror film, X (2022). Upcoming projects for Brittany Snow include Stripped and Big Nickel, both currently in pre-production.

Jesse Metcalfe (John Tucker)

The titular character in John Tucker Must Die was played by Jesse Metcalfe, a teen-heartthrob actor who successfully carried the weight of portraying an unlikable character who still has enough redeeming qualities to make the audience root for him.

After the release of John Tucker Must Die, Metcalfe continued his recurring role on the ABC drama Desperate Housewives, as well as performing in a number of other TV shows, including Chase and Dallas.

In the years following John Tucker Must Die, Metcalfe became a staple of Hallmark romantic TV movies, acting in a number of them, including A Country Wedding, Fairfield Road, and Christmas Next Door. You may also recognize Metcalfe from films like Beyond A Reasonable Doubt and the Dead Rising zombie thriller series.

In the future, Metcalfe will appear in On a Wing and a Prayer, a drama/thriller about a pilot who dies in the middle of a flight; he’ll also star in the third installment of the Fortress franchise, although a release date hasn’t yet been announced.

Sophia Bush (Beth)

In addition to playing Beth, a character regrettably referred to as a “vegan slut” in John Tucker Must Die, Sophia Bush is best known for her nine-year run as Brooke David on the CW drama One Tree Hill.

While still working on One Tree Hill, Bush appeared in the horror film The Hitcher, as well as the comedy, Table for Three.

In the years since the conclusion of One Tree Hill, Sophia Bush has appeared in a number of TV series, including Partners, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Good Sam, and Love, Victor. From 2013 to 2017, she also held a starring role on Chicago P.D. as detective Erin Lindsay, while guest starring as that character on Chicago Med and Chicago Fire.

Bush is also known for her podcasts, including Work In Progress and Drama Queens OTH, the latter of which discusses One Tree Hill plotlines, behind-the-scenes commentary, and even negative set experiences from the stars of the show themselves.

Upcoming appearances for Bush include Junction, a movie about the opioid crisis in America, set to premiere some time in 2023.

Penn Badgley (Scott)

Penn Badgley was the “dorky” little brother in John Tucker Must Die, but he evolved into Joe Goldberg, everyone’s favorite serial killer from the Netflix original series You.

Prior to appearing in the highly successful thriller series, Badgley's best roles were in Easy A (one of my personal favorite teen comedies) alongside Emma Stone, as well as the massively popular series, Gossip Girl, where he starred for six seasons as Dan Humphrey.

While Badgley has been pretty busy with You since its premiere in 2018, you can also catch him in the recent mob-thriller, The Birthday Cake (2021).

Ashanti (Heather)

While Ashanti’s most popular film appearance is probably that of spunky cheerleader Heather in John Tucker Must Die, the actress/singer is a Grammy award-winning artist. If you need an Ashanti fix, she’s starred in many music videos during her long career as an R&B singer, all of which are available to watch on YouTube.

Ashanti appeared in Army Wives as Latasha Monclair, but has also played herself in small roles in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Dynasty.

Ashanti will appear in the upcoming film, The Plus One, alongside fellow early-2000s movie alum, Jonathan Bennett.

Arielle Kebbel (Carrie)

Right around the same time as John Tucker Must Die, Arielle Kebbel appeared in the mermaid movie, Aquamarine, portraying the role of the local bully, Cecilia. In the years following these successful films, Kebbel has appeared in movies like Daydreamer (2007) and Vampires Suck (2010).

She also appeared in the CW show 90210 as Vanessa Shaw, as well as a number of other television shows including The League, The Vampire Diaries, Midnight, Texas, Ballers, and 9-1-1. She’s also starred in some TV movies for the Hallmark channel, much like fellow John Tucker Must Die star Jesse Metcalfe.

In 2022, Kebbel will star in the film, Site, a horror movie about an abandoned government test site.

Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg (Lori)

Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, known at the time as Jenny McCarthy, played the role of Kate’s free-spirited mom, Lori, in John Tucker Must Die. In the years since the film’s release, McCarthy has starred in shows like Tripping the Rift, In the Motherhood, Two and a Half Men, and Return of the Mac.

Fans of Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg can currently find her on The Masked Singer, where she serves as a panelist on the popular celebrity singing competition.

Taylor Kitsch (Justin)

After playing the minor role of Justin in John Tucker Must Die, Taylor Kitsch went on to originate the role of Tim Riggins in the series Friday Night Lights (which might be rebooted).

In the years since Friday Night Lights, Kitsch has appeared in movies such as John Carter (2012), Lone Survivor (2013), and the recently released Amazon series, The Terminal List. More of Kitsch’s TV work includes a lead role on the anthology series, True Detective, as well as the lead in the miniseries, Waco.

In 2022, Kitsch will appear in the new TV miniseries Painkiller, a Netflix drama about the opioid crisis.

Patricia Drake (Coach Williams)

Patricia Drake’s portrayal of the strict cheerleading coach in John Tucker Must Die is just one credit in this actor’s lengthy filmography. 

Following John Tucker Must Die, Drake appeared in the TV series The Guard, Class of the Titans, and Being Ian. She’s also done a fair amount of voice work for Barbie-related projects, as well as the 2018 Polly Pocket series.

Most recently, Drake was seen in Mike Flanagan’s horror series, Midnight Mass. She’ll appear in the next Mike Flanagan work, The Midnight Club, as well, which is set to premiere some time in 2022.

Terrell J. Ramsey (Tommy)

Known by the name Fatso-Fasano at the time of John Tucker Must Die, actor Terrell J. Ramsey now goes by his real name.

Ramsey is known for the TV series Weeds, but has had a number of smaller roles, including stints on The Mentalist, Entourage, Harry’s Law, and Kidding. In 2022, Ramsey will star in Cheddy Ace, a comedy about a man and his nephews working to repay a debt to a local gang.

To relive the masterpiece that is John Tucker Must Die, you can rent or buy the movie on Amazon. 

Spoiler alert: If you haven’t seen Episode 11 of The Masked Singer, the identity of the Russian Dolls will be revealed.

As Season 5 of The Masked Singer inches toward the Final 3 and the big season finale, viewers watched the Five Fan Favorites vie for a spot in the semi-finals. The fierce competition has seen talented contestants such as Bobby Brown, Tamera Mowry-Housley and actor-singer Tyrese Gibson go home early, and the same complimentary boasts can be said about the latest elimination, with the Russian Dolls being unmasked. Despite the surprise elimination, the group still left a mark on the competition, and subsequently revealed the most surprising thing about being figured out.

As with many Masked Singer contestants, the Russian Dolls’ time on the Fox series was a rollercoaster of guesses. The judges were all over the place, naming groups across all music genres, from Sugarland to Boyz II Men to the Jonas Brothers. But Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and guest judge Rob Riggle hit the nail(s) on the head(s) with their final guesses, as the set of Russian Dolls were revealed to be the siblings comprising the pop-rock group Hanson. After the group’s reveal, Taylor Hanson spoke with TV Insider and expressed his desire for a specific judge to pinpoint the group’s identity.

Taylor Hanson’s words spoke to the relationships that he and his brothers have developed as veterans in the entertainment industry since breaking it big in 1997. Surprisingly, Jenny McCarthy’s first guess was actually the R&B group Boyz II Men, which was technically in the same harmonious ballpark. McCarthy eventually came around after reflecting on her past interactions with the brothers, which is how fellow judge Nicole Scherzinger figured out the trio out. As the Hanson brother pointed out, it’s quite the rewarding moment to have the judges finally figure the contestants' identities out.

Another Hanson brother revealed he had a different goal in mind for who should have guessed the pop group's identity. Zac Hanson wanted a certain doctor-turned-comedic actor to get the group on the first guess, saying this about everybody’s favorite hopeless judge:

As television’s favorite mostly clueless panelist, Ken Jeong certainly deserved the bone that Zac Hanson wanted to throw his way. Despite how self-awarely annoying Jeong can be from time to time, his misguided guesses make the Fox singing competition all the more entertaining and head-scratching. Zac Hanson's words reflected The Masked Singer fanbase’s love-hate relationship with the comedic actor, who also went on to join the Masked Dancer group of judges.

It was sad to see the Russian Dolls leave the Fox series, as their immense talent filled the stage in surprising ways every week. Now, as the competition rolls toward the finale, fans can root for Chameleon, Black Swan, Piglet and Yeti from here on out. To see who makes it to the Final 3, you can watch The Masked Singer Wednesday nights on Fox at 8 pm ET.

Spoiler alert: For anyone who hasn’t seen Episode 7 of The Masked Singer, the Crab’s identity is revealed.

The Masked Singer Season 5 has been a wild ride so far, from the game-changing wildcard factor to the amazing (if not always surprising) reveals. This week's ep marked the Fox series entering the semi-finals, and the competition made every effort to impress fans watching the mystery celebs fight to eventually be in the Top 3. But in another surprise twist, The Masked Singer delivered a double elimination, with one of the eliminated contestants being the Crab. While he'd been a fan favorite, there was a tense moment from an earlier episode that left viewers worried after Crab had to suddenly leave the stage and remove his mask. Following the elimination and subsequent unmasking, viewers and the judges finally got answers.

While Episode 7's surprise twist threw everyone for a loop, including the four judges, it meant everybody would finally know who the Crab was. The Masked Singer's Ken Jeong and Jenny McCarthy, in particular, were hot on the Crab’s trail from the beginning, and once the final guesses were shared, Jeong and McCarthy were proven correct, with iconic R&B bad boy Bobby Brown unveiled as the harmonious crustacean. While Brown’s reveal was surprising to some, the real question fans had tied back to his unsettling health scare. Speaking with EW, the singer explained what lead to the terrifying moment:

Making such a discovery while competing on The Masked Singer would be scary and totally unexpected for anyone. Having watched Bobby Brown’s performances for many years prior to his work on the Fox hit, I know he’s a performer who loves moving energetically and dancing around the stage with no restrictions. So, as he pointed out, being inside a full-body costume and performing a full routine was very restrictive for him. He isn’t the first Masked Singer contestant to state that sentiment about donning such a heavy costume, either, though some celebs have had zero issues with their costumes. Thankfully, Brown was still able to enjoy himself, which was made pretty obvious by his performances.

Bobby Brown also revealed that The Masked Singer was must-see television for him and his family before he was brought into the show. When asked to give a piece of advice to future contestants, the singer spoke directly to the reality of his own experience, saying:

Having seen the panic-laced incident in real-time, I think Bobby Brown gave some truly sage advice about costume choices, especially for what is ostensibly a singing competition. Those amazing costumes can also seem very cumbersome while watching the performers struggle with movement and breathing from time to time. Maybe one of The Masked Singer's next big changes should be focused on redesigning some of the costume types.

While it was sad to see Bobby Brown go, the competition remains fierce as the Super 8 turned to Special 6 with talent such as Black Swan, Piglet and Yeti still in the running. You can watch The Masked Singer every Wednesday on Fox at 8 p.m. ET, with the competition taking a break for a non-elimination sing-along episode next.

Alma Wahlberg, the mother of Mark Wahlberg, Donnie Wahlberg and their siblings and a star on reality show Wahlburgers, has died. The Wahlberg matriarch was reportedly battling dementia. She was 78 at the time of her passing.

Both Mark and Donnie Wahlberg confirmed the news of Alma Wahlberg’s passing earlier today, via social media posts. In a lengthy and personal message on Instagram, Donnie Wahlberg paid tribute to his mother:

Donnie Wahlberg spoke lovingly of his mother’s warm personality and loving demeanor. The actor and singer also took the time to speak about how Alma Wahlberg was able to overcome various challenges as a mother:

Mark Wahlberg also took to Instagram to pay tribute to his mother. His message included a short but sweet caption and a photo of his mom:

Alma Wahlberg’s daughter-in-law and Donnie Wahlberg’s wife, actress Jenny McCarthy, retweeted a post from her husband and shared her own thoughts on her late mother-in-law:

Alma Wahlberg grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, and she eventually married Donald Wahlberg in 1965, though the two would later divorce. Over the course of her life, Wahlberg would raise nine children in the Boston area.

While Alma Wahlberg’s sons would eventually become celebrities, she herself would find a bit of stardom through reality TV. From 2014 to 2019, she appeared on numerous episodes of the A&E series Wahlburgers, which centered on her family’s chain of restaurants. Wahlberg was known for her humor, warmth, and occasional sharp tongue. In 2010, son Paul Wahlberg opened an Italian restaurant named in her honor, Alma Nove.

Aside from reality TV though, Wahlberg also gave a number of interviews during her lifetime. She would speak fondly of her family and express the pride she felt in her children. She’d also didn’t mind toying with her sons when it came to who the favorite was.

It goes without saying that Alma Wahlberg will be sorely missed by her friends and family, as well as the various fans who enjoyed watching her on their TV screens. But at the very least, they still have plenty of memories of her to cherish.

We here at CinemaBlend extend our thoughts to the family and friends of Alma Wahlberg at this time.

I know that fans of The Masked Singer probably feel like they're going through an interminable wait right now after watching Season 3 wrap near the end of May, but the show is coming back to Fox this fall. While there will be some changes afoot for Season 4 as the singing competition tries to keep everyone safe but also attempts to up its creative game for those watching at home, audiences can still expect an exciting season. If you've ever wondered how the judges get ready to guess who's who during those wild performances, Jenny McCarthy has revealed that she has a method to get herself "fired up" for each season.

As dedicated viewers of The Masked Singer know, a large part of the fun of the show is trying to guess which celebrities are hidden under those elaborate (and heavy) costumes as they perform. Instead of simply attempting to guess by the person's voice (seeing as how they may not be recognized for their talent as a singer, anyway), the show puts together clue packages that are supposed to help the audience and judges make their guesses. But, those only make the process easier for some of the judges.

Panelists Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, and Robin Thicke, along with series executive producer Craig Plestis, recently spoke with Variety after beginning to film Season 4, and Thicke noted that McCarthy seems to have a leg up on most of them when guessing at the performer's identities. McCarthy then revealed her secret, as well as what she does to get her thinking prowess "fired up" to examine all those clues:

Well, this actually makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? Jenny McCarthy has spent several years of her career now actually interviewing other celebrities for a living. She was a panelist on The View for one season from 2013-2014, and has hosted The Jenny McCarthy Show on SiriusXM since 2014, so, as she said, she's learned a lot about celebrities from those interviews which has probably stuck in her mind, and helped her make guesses on The Masked Singer.

While most of us are likely to get carried away with some celebrity gossip from time to time, McCarthy has been able to do some deep dives into the lives of famous people that many folks, especially her fellow Masked Singer judges, haven't had the opportunity to take. But, she revealed another plus that has surely helped her make informed guesses on the show, as she also enjoys a good mystery-filled puzzle.

There are lots of ways to engage that part of your brain if you enjoy turning clues into actual answers, and anything from watching mysteries on TV to filling out a crossword puzzle would work. Jenny McCarthy, though, likes to really put her skills to the test in an even more high pressure environment, and said that one of her favorite ways to boost her clue-solving skills before previous seasons was to go to escape rooms. McCarthy is a very good guesser on The Masked Singer, so it's hard to argue with her process.

The Masked Singer will return this fall, but doesn't have a set premiere date just yet. To see what you can watch in the meantime, be sure to check out our list of this fall's TV debuts.

The Masked Singer has been a blast as far back as its first season but, as fun as the ride has been, there have been some mysteries and questions about its process. Fans have speculated about things like how judges go through with their guesses and, until recently, they've been in the dark about what actually is and isn't expected.

Now executive producer Craig Plestis has pulled back the curtain a bit on the process, and demystified some of what goes on in regards to the judges' guessing:

As some may have expected, The Masked Singer's judges aren't allowed to have google out like the viewers at home. That's probably why their guesses are so bad right out the gate but improve as the weeks go on. As Craig Plestis, said the producers can only ask the team not to hop on the internet to search for clues when they get home, but there's really no way of stopping them from doing so once filming is done for the day.

I think the going home and googling rule was honored in Season 1 but has fallen by the wayside in Season 3. There's no denying the judges have gotten way better at correctly identifying contestants down the stretch and were possibly a little embarrassed to be in the dark for so long in Season 1 when viewers at home had pegged some contestants during the first episode.

With that being said, it's hard not to credit the judging team even if they are googling at home. These pre-recorded seasons mean they're not participating in guessing with the hive-mind fandom. That certainly has to make things a lot more difficult when one isn't able to bounce ideas off the masses, which the judges would be able to do if the episodes were at least taped closer to airings. When asked if Season 4 would have any live episodes, Craig Plestis told TV Guide they were still working out details for the coming season.

The Masked Singer will return to Fox for Season 4, though we have no idea when to expect it. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on the show, and for the latest news happening in television and movies.

The Masked Singer is cruising into Season 3, and according to judge Jenny McCarthy, this season should be notably different than the first two. No, the wacky costumes won't be getting dropped, but apparently, the difficulty curve has increased drastically.

Jenny McCarthy revealed that while past seasons gave some very forthcoming and obvious clues on contestants' identities, this season would be different. The Masked Singer judge said Season 3 clues were "almost impossible," and won't be as revealing as they've been in the past.

Jenny McCarthy claims Season 3 of The Masked Singer will have much more vague clues, though it's understandable if fans of the Fox series are skeptical of that claim. Season 2 added padding to attempt and disguise the body types of certain contestants, and it didn't take long for the correct guesses of contestants to make rounds around the web.

So far, it's unknown if The Masked Singer can create clues too vague for its program. The show caters to millions of viewers with access to the internet throughout its airings, and it only takes one of them to get on the trail of a subtle clue for others to hop on the bandwagon. It's one thing to fool judges on a set without access to their phones, it's quite another if these vague clues will be able to fool the show's viewership as a whole.

Even if the clues aren't quite as shocking for some, Jenny McCarthy teased to TV Guide there may be a shock in store for those who tune in after the Super Bowl. The surprise will come in the form of the episode's first revealed contestant which, according to McCarthy, will be quite a surprise.

No word on who the big name is, though one could reason they won't be a famous professional singer. After all, people don't get voted out in the first round of The Masked Singer because they are talented, so this may be a big cameo by some well-known actor or actress. The show hasn't featured any current A-listers as performers, though if there were a time to book one, I'd imagine it would be for the show following the Super Bowl.

The Masked Singer Season 3 premieres on Fox directly following the Sunday, February 2 Super Bowl 2020. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on the series, and for a look at what else is happening in the world of movies and television.

The Masked Singer took the country by storm when Season 1 debuted in early January, and fans were so enthralled by the celebrity singing competition that Fox made sure to ready a second season for the fall, which hit the air just a few weeks ago. People are still taken by the show, which finds famous folks hide their identities in some of the most elaborate costumes ever created for reality TV, offer up clues and perform well-known songs to see if a panel of judges (and the audience) can guess who they really are. Those who enjoy the uber-popular series have been wondering whether or not the masked singers get to keep their costumes once they're revealed, and now we have our answer.

Jenny McCarthy, who serves on The Masked Singer judges panel along with Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke, was recently posed that very question on Twitter, and decided to put an end to our queries once and for all:

Awww, man! You mean to tell me that seven time Grammy Award winner Gladys Knight isn't currently able to lounge around her manse in her Bee costume from Season 1 of The Masked Singer? I am offended for her, sirs and madams. The unmitigated gall of it all!

Alright, I know we all had the greatest hopes that contestants on The Masked Singer were able to keep their costumes once they were kicked off or won the show. But, let's bee (See what I did there?) real about this for a minute. It's not like the wardrobe department on the reality competition just has some interns head over to Party City for their costuming options. These outfits are beyond anything most of us could come up with in real life and designed specifically to hide pretty much every identifying feature of the celebrity contestant inside.

This means that everyone who signs up for The Masked Singer will be covered from head to toe when they perform, as well as before and after each taping, so that no one can begin to put together the pieces from the clues and compare them to what they see of the actual people who are trapped in those amazing getups during filming. Also, the costumes are made to reflect the performer's personality or their professional journey in some way, and are made just for them.

And, while the surreal, frequently beautiful costumes (which are designed by four time Emmy winning costume designer Marina Toybina, who was nominated for her work on Season 1) have been said to be pretty uncomfortable to wear, they are made with mobility in mind so that the singers can actually move around (probably not with much ease, but still) as they perform. One interview with Toybina from The Cut even revealed that the Monster and Pineapple costumes had working fans in them so as to make sure constants were cool enough and also had enough air.

Can you see where I'm going with all of this? These costumes are very well thought out, manufactured to a tee and probably more expensive than the house you live in. Ain't no way the producers of The Masked Singer are letting a bunch of random celebrities run off with these stunning creations!

So, while it is a bit of a pity that we'll never see figure skater Johnny Weir don his partial Egg costume on the ice, I think we can all now understand why these extravagant items are likely kept under lock and key when not in use.

You can check out all of the remaining Season 2 costumes / performers in action when The Masked Singer continues on Fox, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST. For the rest of what you can see on the small screen this season be sure to bookmark our 2019 fall TV premiere guide!

The Masked Singer's Season 2 premiere isn't far off, which means the guessing game that captivated America in Season 1 will soon enrapture audiences anew. Because last season's clues were probably easier to figure out than producers intended, nearly all the remaining contestants had been figured out after only a few weeks of competition. Granted, the online sleuthing was never confirmed to be correct until the contestant was unmasked, but a majority of the internet was on track with its guessing. (Us included.)

We can't say for sure just yet how much harder Season 2's celebrities will be to figure out, although CinemaBlend learned from judge Jenny McCarthy and one of The Masked Singer's executive producers that the plan was to make the contestants much more difficult to figure out for both the judges and at-home audiences. The EP said that this season, the producers went harder one coaching the 16 contestants in ways that helped them keep their identities a secret more successfully.

The celebs' recognizable mannerisms did play a part in helping the judges identify some of the contestants in The Masked Singer Season 1. Jenny McCarthy mentioned her fellow judge Robin Thicke was able to sniff out Terry Bradshaw as The Deer thanks to Bradshaw's trademark shoulder shrug. Thicke had also managed to figure out Ricki Lake as The Raven because of the way she placed her hand over her heart. These are small movements, but they lead to big Eureka moments. With these new changes in place, Thicke may struggle if he's depending solely on recognizing the celebs' tics.

That's not all The Masked Singer's behind-the-scenes team thought of to make things harder on the judges. Jenny McCarthy says the judges and viewers have to rely on the verbal clues even more than they did in Season 1, because looks may be deceiving when it comes to the celebs' shapes and sizes. In McCarthy's words:

That may be a big hindrance to viewers, who were able to confirm the identities of singers like Joey Fatone and LaToya Jackson largely due to the shape of their bodies. Changing mannerisms and disguising people's heights and weights will presumably remove a lot of the physical clues that the contestants aren't in control of. So for Season 2, viewers and the judges will have to rely on their clue sleuthing and voice-matching skills to figure out each marvelous contestant before their unmasking.

The Masked Singer premieres on Fox Wednesday, September 25 at 8:00 p.m. ET, with a sneak peek airing on Fox on Sunday, September 15. Stick with CinemaBlend for updates on the season as it progresses, and for all the latest news happening in the world of television and movies during the fall season.

The gloves are off and the fake accents are ON for The Masked Singer Season 2. Now that everyone knows the game, the game is adapting to become that much harder. The first season of the FOX reality competition show was a surprise hit, and it sounds like the celebrity singers have raised the game to much more difficult heights. You're really going to have to work to guess right this time.

The Masked Singer judge Jenny McCarthy explained how Season 2 will be more challenging on every level:

Yasss. Jenny McCarthy previously mentioned there would be elevated costumes in Season 2, and host Nick Cannon said there'd be even more major celebrities. I like hearing more about the celebs messing with everyone.

Fellow judge Robin Thicke added more on that note to Us Weekly:

So the celeb contestants have really figured out how to use their pre-taped interviews to throw everyone off instead of giving away the game. I like it. It should make the guessing game a lot more fun for viewers, who already seemed to have a blast the first season -- even when it was pretty obvious who was who.

A Fox Competition Show Has Never Won An Emmy: Could The Masked Singer Change That?

Apparently it wasn't that easy to guess The Masked Singer Season 1's winner, though. According to Robin Thicke, Kevin Hart's own kids insisted that Hart was The Monster instead of T-Pain.

Also, if you're curious, Jenny McCarthy addressed the idea of her husband Donnie Wahlberg being on the show. He was an incorrect fan guess in Season 1, and now everyone wants him on the show. McCarthy said Wahlberg is a huge fan of the show and even does a countdown to episode launches. She said he'd be awesome on the show, but it's a matter of timing since he goes from touring to doing Blue Bloods.

The Masked Singer Season 2 premieres September 25 on FOX, and Season 3 will actually start right after The Super Bowl 2020.

The Masked Singer was last season's unexpected hit, and the world was captivated by the weird show even after they figured out the identities of the contestants ahead of their reveals. Now, the show has had some time to learn from its inaugural run, and according to judge Jenny McCarthy, some changes are going to be made for Season 2. As for what audiences can expect, McCarthy teased one thing that will be bigger and another element that will be better:

Jenny McCarthy isn't just talking up the show, The Masked Singer had some incredible costumes. If Season 2 somehow elevates the game with costumes better than The Monster, Lion, or Raven, then audiences should be very excited to see what's coming up this fall. We'll see more costumes via the new contestants we'd imagine, so let's just hope the show is a bit less obvious in its clues this season so the guessing identities part is more entertaining..

It seems the clues were sometimes as obvious to the panelists as they were the audience, but they never really outed a singer too early in the game. Jenny McCarthy told Extra there's some more comfort going into The Masked Singer Season 2, and freedom to guess a contestant's identity if they're feeling pretty certain about who it is. Robin Thicke agreed, and explained Season 2 will be more comfortable as Season 1 was them trying to figure things out.

Had it come from any other panelist, one could be skeptical, but Robin Thicke was definitely one of the more consistent judges at correctly guessing identities during The Masked Singer's latter episodes. The other panelists seemed to improve with time as well, although that may be because the clues hinting at contestants' identities got more obvious as the series went on.

Joey Fatone Wants Another Chance On The Masked Singer, This Time As A Judge

We still have a whole summer to get through before The Masked Singer returns to Fox for Season 2 in the fall Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, so stick with CinemaBlend in the meantime for all the latest breaking headlines in television and movies.

Jenny McCarthy is a divisive figure in pop culture thanks to the combination of her television appearances and her views on hot topics like vaccinations. Most recently, she appeared as a judge on Fox's smash hit The Masked Singer, but it was her time on The View that she discussed in-depth for an upcoming book about the long-running talk show. McCarthy pulled no punches when she compared working with The View creator and original co-host Barbara Walters to a horror movie:

Ouch! Mommie Dearest is a 1981 film that depicts the childhood of Christina Crawford and paints a picture of abuse from her adoptive mother, Joan Crawford. It's one thing to say that a working relationship with somebody isn't the best, but to compare it to what went down in Mommie Dearest is a pretty clear indication that something was very wrong. Based on Jenny McCarthy's comments, working with Barbara Walters was unlike anything she'd faced before.

Jenny McCarthy was actually only on board The View for a single season, from 2013-2014. That said, she had appeared as a guest and guest-hosted on the show many times over the years before landing the official co-host gig, and her season on The View also happened to be Barbara Walters' final season on The View. The incident that inspired the Mommie Dearest comparison happened back in 2007, when McCarthy visited The View as part of her rounds to promote a book.

Barbara Walters was 84-years-old when she retired in May 2014, and Jenny McCarthy's account of that final year does not reflect well on her dynamic with the longtime host. McCarthy shared her thoughts on Walters for the upcoming book Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View (via Vulture). Judging by the book's title, it's not surprising that it includes some claims that are bound to rile people up.

The picture Jenny McCarthy paints of Barbara Walters is a woman who was being forced into retirement and suffering from health and memory issues that prevented her from doing everything her job required of her. According to McCarthy, the other hosts of The View had methods of sending signals for how to react to Walters on camera, ranging from "the knee hold or the kick under the table."

Jenny McCarthy also reported serious on-set friction between Barbara Walters and Whoopi Goldberg, who joined the series in 2007 and remains on board as a co-host, although she did need to take a break recently due to a health scare. Her surprise return for an episode was a hit with her co-hosts and audience members alike. Still, McCarthy's account points toward herself as a particular target for Walters. She said this about the process of getting ready for episodes:

By Jenny McCarthy's estimate, she changed 50 outfits over a seven-month period because of Barbara Walters' opinion, and McCarthy's outfits were selected by a stylist rather than pulled from her own closet. McCarthy went on to state that in some instances, Walters actually wanted to dress like her, and she would "make people run out and get that dress in her size."

To make things worse, The View was suffering in the ratings after the departure of previous co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who had added a political bent to the discussions. The drop in ratings resulted in The View trying to change Jenny McCarthy, according to McCarthy. The former co-host revealed that she would be told opinions that she was to bring up on-camera opposite Whoopi Goldberg, and she didn't feel she could be herself on the show.

The combination of everything going on behind-the-scenes at The View didn't leave Jenny McCarthy in a great place. She explained her state-of-mind at the time:

Jenny McCarthy had passed on a CBS job to take The View, and she came to regret that decision. Unfortunately for her, her hopes that the ratings would get a boost following Barbara Walters' departure ended up not really mattering. McCarthy was one of three co-hosts to leave the show after the end of the 2013-2014 TV season.

Barbara Walters' departure was due to retirement, even if Jenny McCarthy is correct that the retirement was forced. McCarthy herself and fellow co-host Sherri Shepherd were reportedly ousted from the show whether they liked it or not, although ABC put a positive spin on the firings.

Jenny McCarthy had a different tale to tell in 2015, however, when she stated that one of The View's producers called her up to ask if she'd ever consider coming back. McCarthy apparently had no inclination to return. Something tells me that what she has to say in the new book isn't going to result in her scoring any more invitations back to The View, at least any time soon.

Her experience on The View didn't result in an ousting from the limelight, however. She appeared as herself in six episodes of the Pop comedy series Return of the Mac in 2017, and she joined primetime in the 2018-2019 TV season thanks to her role as judge of The Masked Singer.

Jenny McCarthy will presumably be back for the second season. Considering how much of a hit the show was for Fox, I imagine the folks there might not want to mess with the recipe too much. That said, Joey Fatone wants on board! We'll have to wait and see what's in store next for McCarthy on TV and in pop culture.

Televised singing competitions tend to follow a pretty standard formula. At the beginning, we're introduced to a bunch of hopefuls, some of them will be amazing "I can't believe this person doesn't already have a recording contract" level singers, while others will either not quite be ready for the big time yet, or they'll just be delusional about their level of talent. As the weeks wear on, the competitors will be whittled down, we'll get some live shows that force the singers to be on their game in front of millions of viewers and eventually the show will crown a winner.

Sure, there are differences in judges, expected and unexpected on-stage shenanigans, how they score the singers and the like, but, overall, we get a lot of singing mixed with the tear-jerking personal stories of those looking to break out and make their mark on the music industry. Well, if you're tired of singing competitions that do the same thing over and over, there's a new one coming up that might just get you intrigued again. Fox is bringing us The Masked Singer on January 2, and the premise of this competition is so weird that it has to be seen to be believed. Take a look:

I don't know about you, but this is so weird it just might work. OK, so first off, instead of a group of wanna be music stars trying to take their fate into their own hands by trying out for a nationally televised singing competition, The Masked Singer will have 12 already well-known stars take to the stage to sing their hearts out. The major catch, as you can plainly see, is that each of them will be covered head to toe in very elaborate costumes to conceal their identity and keep things like age, looks, popularity and the width and breadth of their careers from influencing voting.

And, can we just back track a second and talk about those costumes? Whoever is working behind the scenes to create these things is not playing around. No one went to Party City, outfitted a bunch of celebrities and then pocketed most of the cash. Oh no, just in the clip we see a wide variety of well-covered people-sized animals, aliens, elusive DJs, random critters, insects, toys and what turns out to be things that just don't occur in the real world. Thank heavens, too. I cannot imagine what would happen if someone met any of these folks in a dark alley when they were a little bit tipsy. I have a feeling there might be a few heart attacks in a situation like that. Really, just look at this:

I think we're looking at a hippo with a hat (which happens to exactly match the hippo's skin tone), who is also wearing eyeglasses, possibly with a slight tint to them and who, for some wacky reason, has one gold tooth. Who knows what's going on with the rest of this getup. As far as I'm concerned, if you lower the lights in that studio a bit (or, even without that), this is pure nightmare fuel. Who among us would not be at least momentarily terrified by a sight such as this on a cold, dark night?

But, I digress. The Masked Singer will feature 12 celebrities competing with their, hopefully, lovely voices over the course of 10 episodes. As you can see from the clip, a large part of the show is just trying to guess who is under all the costuming each week. And, the famous folk who will be competing are either not all mainly known as singers, or they have many other talents, as well. All are said to be true household names and have, between them, 65 Grammy nominations, 4 Super Bowl titles, 16 multi-Platinum albums, 4 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 16 Emmy nominations and 9 Broadway shows. So, the people who agreed to take part are no slouches when it comes to their chosen careers or competing.

Like we've seen in most singing shows, each week will have one singer getting voted off of the show. At that point, though, the guessing game will be over, because when they're told to pack their bags, they also finally take off what must be a ridiculously hot mask and reveal who they are. Prepare for everyone to be surprised, because no one, not even the other contestants, know who they're competing against. But, The Masked Singer has promised to do us all a solid as we're at home playing our guessing games, because clues to each singer's identity will be sprinkled throughout each show.

To shepherd us along each week as The Masked Singer moves along with its weirdo competition, we'll have host Nick Cannon, late of America's Got Talent, which he hosted from 2009 through 2016, and panelists Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong, Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy. I think it's a nice touch to have two singers on the panel, in order to better evaluate the actual singing that'll be going on. But, considering the nature of this vocal competition, it's also nice to have two funny people around to give the audience prime off the cuff comments on the voices, costumes and who might be hiding under there.

In case you're wondering who came up with this nutty idea, you can credit some incredibly inventive South Koreans for creating the show for that country (where its title translates to King of Mask Singer). It first aired in February 2015, and currently has 177 episodes under its completely covered belt. The show has been such a hit, that it's already been adapted for several other countries. Shows with the same basic premise have aired in China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, with over half a billion fans around the world making various versions of the show a viral hit and leading to the upcoming American show being touted as part of a "worldwide phenomenon."

The Masked Singer will debut on Fox on Wednesday, January 2. You can keep your anticipation for this new singing competition in check by checking out our 2018 fall TV premiere guide, and seeing what else is hitting the small screen in the coming weeks.

With New Year's Eve right around the corner, ABC is primed to give Mariah Carey another chance at helping ring in the new year after a failed attempt at last year's festivities. While some may think Carey should be scratched from the lineup of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest after her performance on stage last year, co-host of the event Jenny McCarthy believes she deserves a second chance:

Mariah Carey will be taking the stage during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest to perform a medley of her past hits live on television. Jenny McCarthy adds to Variety that the theme of "Unity," doesn't just apply to Carey, but for a whole nation that she said has been riddled with lots of negativity through the past year. In Times Square, Carey's performance will be a "unified," effort, as other musical performances on the program will include Sugarland, Camila Cabello, and Nick Jonas.

Of course, all eyes will be on Mariah Carey specifically, as her New Year's flub last year was the most talked about performance of the night, and became the first viral pop culture moment of the year. For those that don't remember, Carey took the stage, and when the music started, she wasn't singing. Instead, Carey walked the stage and informed the audience that there were issues with the sound and she was trying to be a "good sport," about it:

Mariah Carey's camp would later state that her earpiece was having issues, which would make it hard to perform. Carey's team went on to say these were issues that were known earlier in the day, and that they were all assured it would be fixed by the time the show went live later that night. When the lights went up and the cameras were rolling, the earpiece apparently still wasn't working, which led Carey to rip them out and attempt to sing without. As the video shows, that didn't work out so well, so hopefully this year everything is set up for Carey to succeed in her shot at redemption.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest is set to kick off on ABC on Sunday, December 31 at 8 p.m. EST. For a look at shows to watch the next day to help ring in 2018 the right way, visit our midseason premiere guide. Those still curious as to what's airing today and tomorrow that's new can visit our fall premiere guide. For a look at shows that were canceled in 2017, visit our cancellation guide.

News of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's death has saddened many people in the entertainment and publishing industries. Now many of the Playmates and celebrities Hefner showcased in his men's lifestyle magazine are paying tribute. For example, Pamela Anderson graced the cover of Playboy a record 14 times, and Hugh Hefner even selected her to write the forward for Playboy's Greatest Covers, a coffee table book. The 50-year-old Baywatch actress and model hopped on Instagram to share an emotional video that showed tears running down her face. Anderson attached a lengthy caption to express her extreme grief, but also thanked Hefner for helping her build a career in show business. Take a look:

Hugh Hefner also had a profound impact on former Playmate Kendra Wilkinson, with whom Hefner shared a polyamorous relationship along with Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt. Hefner and the three former Playmates filmed six seasons of the reality television show The Girls Next Door together. Wilkinson opened up to reporters in response to Hefner's death and said:

Bridget Marquardt also shared her sadness over the news and offered fond memories with a social media post about Hugh Hefner. Check it out:

As of yet, Holly Madison has not spoken out about Hugh Hefner's death. However, former Playmate Jenny McCarthy has shared kind words. Like Pamela Anderson, McCarthy got her big break in the industry thanks to Playboy. The actress, model, television host, author, screenwriter, and former host of The View tweeted:

Additionally, former Playmate Carmen Electra got a lot of guidance from Hugh Hefner when she was kickstarting her career. The actress and model expressed her sadness and thanks, posting:

Many of the women who graced the cover of Playboy were celebrities. In fact, the very first woman to grace the cover was Marilyn Monroe. So, as you might imagine, many of the famous faces have been joining former Playmates in sharing condolences via social media. For example, Kim Kardashian said she and Paris Hilton had been reminiscing about their experiences at the Playboy Mansion:

In fact, Paris Hilton tweeted a full gallery of pictures she and Hugh Hefner took together over the years:

Dita von Teese also shared a gallery of photos with Hugh Hefner along with a lovely letter to him. In it, she explained the profound impact doing Playboy had on her life:

Then other big entertainment names who happened to do Playboy also chimed in. For example, supermodel Cindy Crawford posted:

Similarly, supermodel Kate Moss gave her two cents, posting:

Many other stars---from Sandra Bernhard to Nancy Sinatra to Azealia Banks---shared sendoff words to Hugh Hefner and showed pictures of their Playboy cover experiences, too. Clearly, Hugh Hefner had a major positive impact on many women in Hollywood, so it is heartening to see many of them speak out with kind words for their friend after his death.

The last few years of ABC’s The View have been about as tumultuous as it gets for a daytime talk show, with panelists coming and going with unstable rapidity. One of the biggest kerfuffles came when co-hosts Jenny McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd were booted from the show after Season 17, which was McCarthy’s only season. With the current lineup in flux, it would make a certain amount of sense for the show to reach back out to McCarthy, and it appears they have.

Jenny McCarthy and her husband Donnie Wahlberg appeared on Howard Stern’s Sirius XM radio show, and the conversation naturally drifted to The View. Wahlberg mentioned that he knew immediately after she left the show that they would try to track her down again, and although Wahlberg made it seem like she wouldn’t be open about it, McCarthy shared this.

Wahlberg points out that this call was unofficial, which makes it seem like they were just feeling McCarthy out rather than actively seeking to get her back on the show. And considering her apparent disinterest in getting back on board, it was probably a good thing that the producer kept the network’s interest on the down low. There’s a decent chance ABC just wants McCarthy back because she’s a lightning rod of controversy thanks to her views on vaccinations and their connections to autism. But then, she also has a ton of fans in general, so that’s another draw.

Even if McCarthy’s denial wasn’t enough to get The View from hounding her, she also predicted that the show doesn’t have very long left before it’s completely finished.

It’s not the smartest idea to get involved with a host that doesn’t believe in the product, so we’ll be waiting to see if anything more comes of this. You can check out that piece of the conversation in the clip below.

The View filled McCarthy and Shepherd’s vacancies – as well as Barbara Walters’, who left the show at that point – with Nicole Wallace and Rosie Perez, the latter of which has already had her own problems. Rosie O’Donnell, who cohosted for Season 10, returned for Season 18, but then promptly left all over again. Walters did return with former co-host Joy Behar for the 4000th episode a few days ago. I wonder if anybody asked them to stick around for a few more years.

The View, once a hot program, is now a bit of a hot mess. The past year saw the exits of three prominent members of ABC’s long-running morning talk show, and now veteran panelist Sherri Shepherd will be leaving The View. In addition, the morning show’s new—and controversial—panelist Jenny McCarthy will also be following Shepherd out the door. Unlike Barbara Walters, who retired from the series just a couple of months ago, ABC has ousted Shepherd and McCarthy.

According to TMZ, ABC called a meeting on Thursday, announcing that McCarthy and Shepherd would no longer be a part of the morning series. The official spin from ABC is a little nicer, with the network noting, "The View will be moving in an exciting new direction next season and ABC has made decisions to evolve the show creatively” (via THR). Really though, with Walters’ retirement and Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar already out the door, this year should have been an exciting one for The View. Clearly, it just wasn’t working, and ABC decided to blow the whole operation up.

Not every single panelist is getting fired, however. With Shepherd and McCarthy ousted, Whoopi Goldberg is the only official host remaining on the series. TMZ has listed a few people that they think ABC is interested in hiring, including bringing back Rosie O’Donnell and signing on retired boxer Laila Ali. This is all hearsay at this point, but it’s safe to say that ABC will need to retain some new panelists before the show’s 18th season hits the schedule.

The View has been kind of a mess recently. Ratings are down, and most of the show’s longtime personalities have left for other opportunities. In fact, since Walters' retirement, the show has only been anchored by three women: Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy. To fill the gap, The View has lately been employing a slew of guest hosts and co-hosts to chat with the celebrities who come onstage. The show hasn’t been the most organized series recently, and if anything can attest to that, it is probably the return of Barbara Walters as a guest on Friday. The woman has only been retired for six weeks and the show has already called her back to talk about a recent interview with the father Elliot Rodger, who took his life after allegedly killing six people in Santa Barbara last month. I’m sure it will be an interesting episode, but Walters’ return also sheds a light on the fact that the show is not doing so well in the post-Barbara era.

If CBS’ The Talk ever wanted to gain footing, now looks to be an excellent time.

Jenny McCarthy is an outspoken, fun-loving and attractive woman. She’s been on the cover of Playboy numerous times. She's hosted game shows, starred in her own sitcom, landed supporting roles in movies and done more than her share of modeling. With an easy and comfortable presence on television and a willingness to try anything, she’s, in theory, a wonderful choice to take over for Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar on The View. Unfortunately, in reality, there’s one potential dealbreaker: she is the most famous anti-vaccine crusader in the world.

Back in 2005, McCarthy’s son Evan was diagnosed with autism. Her marriage to director John Mallory Asher ended not long afterwards and within a few years, she was making the rounds on various talk shows claiming vaccinations caused her son to develop autism. The only study ever to link the two was written by Andrew Wakefield, who has since been banned from practicing medicine in the United Kingdom for falsifying his results and publishing doctored research. Over the past half decade, the number of parents choosing not to vaccinate has sharply increased, which puts at risk not only the children themselves but also other children who cannot get vaccinated because their immunte systems are too weak.

There is no controversy when it comes to vaccinations. The American Medical Association, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and every other learned, scientific organization strongly urges parents to vaccinate their children. So, in essence, McCarthy has spent more than a half decade peddling junk science and making the United States a far more dangerous place. That, however, doesn’t necessarily mean she shouldn’t be the newest panel member on The View.

Believe it or not, McCarthy is not the only celebrity to hold fringe lunatic opinions. In fact, most logical and rational people try not to let a person’s private beliefs affect how their public life is viewed. More than a few NFL players tweeted comments about wanting George Zimmerman hurt or the jurors to kill themselves after this weekend’s verdict in the Trayvon Martin case. I disagree with vigilante justice, but that doesn’t mean I think they should be prohibited from playing in the NFL. Besides, there’s no reason to believe vaccines will even be a regular topic on The View. It’s not as if such news stories come up frequently, and assumedly, the other panel members would be able to argue the other side.

That being said, a strong case could be made that the United States, as a whole, will not benefit from more than three million people a day watching a woman who peddles junk science. Even if she doesn’t talk about her views on the show, her presence on such a popular show that deals with real issues will give her more legitimacy in the minds of stupid people.

What do you think? Should McCarthy’s anti-vaccine views keep her off The View? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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The majority of women who pose for Playboy are unable to translate their pictorials into lasting fame. Jenny McCarthy however took her opportunity and ran with it. The model auditioned for the men’s magazine in 1993 and was ultimately offered $20,000 to be the centerfold for the October issue. After winning Playmate of the Year, she moved out to Los Angeles, got a job playing music videos, landed the host position on Singled Out and eventually wound up with her own network show. A lot of women have good looks, but McCarthy had spunk and an unwillingness to be denied.

Now, almost twenty years after McCarthy first showed the world what was underneath her dress, the model, actress and mother has decided to show everyone she’s still got it. According to US Magazine, will grace the cover of Playboy’s July/ August issue. Inside, she’ll have several nude pictures and assumedly, an interview.

While some former Playboy models distance themselves from the pictures they took when they were younger, McCarthy has always remained a fixture at the mansion. Her soon recently attended the annual Easter Egg hunt, and McCarthy has even made appearances in the magazine itself now and again. She’s clearly comfortable with her legacy, and obviously, her own body.

After splitting from longtime partner Jim Carrey in 2010, McCarthy is now reportedly dating Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, a hulking man with a bald head and scary eyes.

While it was Playboy that put Jenny McCarthy on the map, many of us remember her best for her goofy antics as host on MTV’s equally goofy match-making game show Singled Out. Since then, she’s taken her bubbly personality and sense of humor on to other projects, including numerous appearances in film and television. A recent appearance includes co-hosting last December’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve broadcast on ABC, during which she memorably locked lips with the a member of the local law enforcement just after the ball dropped.

Needless to say, McCarthy’s still just as good at grabbing our attention and entertaining us as she’s always been. So, a talk show seems especially fitting for the star, and from what’s being reported, it will put her back on a music-related network. According to the Hollywood Reporter, McCarthy has a talk show coming to VH1. THR reports that the network is developing a talk show, fittingly titled The Jenny McCarthy Show, which they hope to see premiere late summer or fall.

From what VH1’s Jeff Olde said, they’re targeting, “that female funny sweet spot.” THR references the project as a potential “Chelsea Handler equivalent” and and the involvement of executive producer Michael Davies (Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen), which suggests this show could be set up for late night, though nothing has been decided there yet. The series will have her discussing pop culture, doing celebrity interviews, and speaking with guest panelists.

NBC and Oprah Winfrey’s OWN both had talk show projects in contention with McCarthy but nothing became of either. Their loss may be VH1’s gain.

The comment about hitting "that female funny sweet spot" has me wondering if they mean to aim this toward a female audience, or if Olde was simply referencing McCarthy's sense of humor as a woman. The relatively recent female-centric comedy Bridesmaids certainly hit the spot, for example. Either way, it raises another interesting point about McCarthy. Now, this is not to say that women are universally put off by women who look like McCarthy, however she is a former Playboy model who has played up her blonde bombshell look for years, which by itself may not exactly be a huge sell to the female demographic. But her personality and sense of humor are what truly set her apart from other gorgeous model-types, and I think those things may also make her relatable as a woman and relatable to women, as well as being eye-candy to men. We’ll have to wait and see if those qualities serve her well in gaining an audience for the VH1 talk show.

Command & Conquer 3 had a pretty random cast of actors - the bad guy from Total Recall, Lando Calrissian, the female doctor from House, etc. - but it's been put to shame by the wacky roster put together for Red Alert 3. As usual, it's a collection of extremely hot girls and vaguely familiar men.

EA revealed the cast in a trailer at Leipzig, which you can see below. Among the actors playing Soviets are Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show) and Peter Stormare (Uli from Big Lebowski). For the Allies, Jenny McCarthy (uh, Singled Out? Screw it, you know who she is) will be playing the perennial hot commando Tanya and British pin-up Gemma Atkinson will play an intelligence officer. The President will be played by Howard Ackerman (the dad from Juno). Finally, for the new Empire of the Rising Sun faction, you've got George Takei (Mr. Fucking Sulu) as Emperor and Kelly Hu (Scorpion King, X-2) as a military officer.

To be clear, I'm not saying any of these people are necessarily bad actors. I'm just saying that if I was handed a list of these names, I would have no earthly idea what movie you could make that includes all of them. I suppose the cast fits an alternate history story where crazed Soviets and Japanese are storming the globe and the world's armies are staffed with ludicrously hot women - it might be the only story it fits for.