Holly Robinson Peete’s departure from “The Masked Singer” left a sour taste in her mouth. During the latest episode of “Let’s Talk Off Camera,” Kelly Ripa’s podcast with SiriusXM, the “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper” and “21 Jump Street” star revealed she was “so pissed” by her departure.
“I really thought I killed it the second week. In my mind, I never sang better,” Peete said. “And then the makeup artist was like, ‘Would you like sparkles on your face tonight?’ I was like, ‘Oh, that’s bad design.’ Because in other words, I knew I was getting unmasked.”
By now it’s common knowledge that “The Masked Singer” takes its contestants’ secrecy very seriously. The show requires a tidal wave of NDAs every season. Peete even said that her kids had to sign NDAs and joked that her dogs “had to put a paw print” on a form. The series is so intense that performers often wear specialized “Don’t Speak to Me” hoodies and face-shielding visors behind-the-scenes to ensure no one learns their identity. That’s why Peete’s story is so surprising.
“Lemme just tell you this, I was so pissed that I got voted off, like mad. I outsung that boy,” Peete said, referring to her Battle Royale competitor David Archuleta, who was Macaw.
Other than sloppy behind-the-scenes work, Peete had another reason to be upset about her departure. The actor told Ripa that when she got a record deal in the ’80s, “that’s what I wanted to do.” But when she was cast in “21 Jump Street,” her singing career was largely sidelined for her acting one. Peete did sing the theme songs for both “21 Jump Street” and “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper,” but “that was the extent of my career.”
“When I got the chance to do this, I took it so seriously, even though I was in this crazy outfit,” Peete said.
The costumed actor was only able to live out her dreams for a limited amount of time. During “The Masked Singer’s” latest season, Peete was voted off in Week 6. Archuleta, who won the sing-off against her, went on to become Season 9’s runner-up, and Medusa, aka Bishop Briggs, took home the title.
