Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Masked Singer's Season 10 episode "Soundtrack To My Life." Read at your own risk!
It took weeks of costumed competition, but we finally know everyone who will be facing off in The Masked Singer's Season 10 finale, with Donut beating out Candelabra and Anteater. And while fans may be upset to see the pair leave, at least one those two competitors was relieved to hear the results. Anteater was unmasked and revealed to be Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer/songwriter John Oates, who admitted to CinemaBlend that he felt a bit burnt out by the end of his run, so it wasn't quite as sad to exit as viewers might have ant-icipated.
I had a fantastic chat with John Oates about his time on The Masked Singer, and before I could even bring up my thoughts on some of the Group finals being unfair, he made it clear he wasn't exactly sad at the time he was eliminated. When I asked why, the Hall & Oates legend recounted what was happening in his life when the episodes were filmed, and how the timing was kind of hectic for him as the finale taping loomed. In his words:
It was a lot of trips back and forth from Nashville to L.A. to do the show. And the last episode, we had this conflict because I had previously been booked to play the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, on Sunday. The taping was early Monday morning in L.A., So I had to play a show in Newport, Rhode Island, drive to the Boston airport, take the red eye, get in in the middle of the night, get up at the crack of dawn, go to the sound stage, put that crazy costume on, and do all that other stuff that goes along with it. So I was pretty burned out, to be honest with you, on that last episode.
As a touring musician, John Oates is no stranger to jet-setting across the country for performances, but this is obviously a unique circumstance, and trying to keep up with other shows in addition to The Masked Singer put him at a disadvantage. More credit to the guitarist for committing to the series despite a rampant touring schedule, especially since the pay for The Masked Singer isn't really a draw for the celebs.
While he had a good time, Oates added to CinemaBlend later that he wished he had not been on tour while filming, so that it wouldn't have been such a strain to compete. Despite any issues, he still had a great time showing off his talents on the Fox series, which included participating in some of the Season 10's wild theme nights in Season 10.
The showrunner laid out the logistics of making a live season happen.
It's wild to see talented competitors like John Oates - as well as the singer under Candelabra's mask, Keyshia Cole - leaving ahead of the Season 10 finale, especially knowing how successful their careers have been. Unfortunately, there weren't any safety nets for these competitors like there were with the Group A upset. Though again, if Oates was relieved to be done with it, I can't be too upset. Cole could've stuck around for the finale, however, and would've been saved by the "Ding Dong Keep It On Bell" had it not already been used.
With Donut advancing and joining Sea Queen, Cow, and Gazelle, the stage is set for The Masked Singer's two-hour Season 10 finale. I'm still betting on Gazelle, who I've seen as the clear winner since Episode 2. I still feel strongly about that after revisiting her and Cow's performances with my Hulu subscription, with all due respect to Donut and Sea Queen. I think this finale will ultimately boil down to another showdown with Cow and Gazelle, but perhaps we'll be surprised yet again.
The Masked Singer airs its Season 10 finale on Fox on Wednesday, December 20th at 8:00 p.m. ET. Be prepared for what feels like the biggest season finale the show has done yet, and maybe even the most competitive as well.
