Chris Kirkpatrick (‘The Masked Singer’ Hummingbird) unmasked interview: ‘I kind of tried to throw you guys a little bit’
Even though “The Masked Singer’s” Hummingbird was technically eliminated at the end of the season premiere, there was a “to be continued” cliffhanger and viewers didn’t actually find out his true identity until the start of the second episode. As it turned out, all four of the panelists (Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger) guessed incorrectly, and Hummingbird turned out to be none other than Chris Kirkpatrick.
“Well, I kind of tried to throw you guys a little bit with the song [‘I Don’t Want to Be’],” the former NSYNC boyband singer admitted in his unmasked interview with host Nick Cannon. “This has been so much fun. I was nervous, but this has been absolutely amazing.”
Last week, the Hummingbird strutted out onto the stage in a suit and tie, ready for action. His clues package took place on a football field with allusions to “the kickoff” and “competition” being in his DNA. The winged crooner claimed he got his start with the help of Shaquille O’Neal and hinted that they dominated the Super Bowl together. Visual hints during his video included a bluetooth speaker, a locker room, blue cleats, a pile of footballs, ring pops and a scoreboard that read 71-0.
While still masked, Kirkpatrick belted out “I Don’t Want to Be” by Gavin DeGraw and had the judges throwing out such names as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Deion Sanders, Rob Thomas and Uncle Kracker. None of them were even close.
When the NSYNC superstar was initially revealed, Robin shouted out that the panelists had been “guessing him for seven season” but no one thought he was the Hummingbird. Nicole said she “can’t believe we missed Chris,” and Jenny confessed that she’s “losing my boyband touch.”
“The Masked Singer” has been a ratings hit for the Fox network ever since its debut in January 2019. The first seven winning costumes (and celebrities) were Monster (T-Pain), Fox (Wayne Brady), Night Angel (Kandi Burruss), Sun (LeAnn Rimes), Piglet (Nick Lachey), Queen of Hearts (Jewel) and Firefly (Teyana Taylor).