‘The Masked Singer’ Sends Home Two International Celebrities on ‘Sesame Street’ Night

Sesame Street, that special, friendly place where every door opens wide, was the theme for The Masked Singer on Wednesday night (March 15). For two unlucky contestants, both foreign-born females, those doors slammed shut on the competition.

Season 9, episode 5 got underway with Elmo, Big Bird, the Count and Co. performing “What’s The Name of that Song,” then lighting the fuse for BTS’ “Dynamite” with judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke.

After performing “Just The Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr., Squirrel was the first to go. Under the furry helmet was Malin Akerman, the Sweden-born, Canada-based raised actress and model.

Despite being tapped to leave, Akerman wore a smile that could be seen a mile away. Jeong paid tribute to her talent, remarking “you have an amazing voice, you’re just one of the sweetest people.”

Why enter the zany world of Fox’s The Masked Singer, remarked Scherzinger. Apparently the contestant watches it with her son, who was in the audience, and her dad, who made the trip from Sweden.

“Everyone dreams of being a rock star,” Akerman remarked. “It’s such an honor to be here.”

With Squirrel moving on out, that pitted Fairy (who performed “You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstadt) and Jackalope (who performed “Whenever Wherever” by Shakira) in a “Battle Royale.”

The two tussled with “On Top Of The World,” for an over-the-top performance.

Only one would progress — Fairy. On receiving her marching orders, Jackalope lifted the disguise to reveal Lele Pons, the Venezuela-born singer and social media influencer.

Host Nick Cannon quipped how he couldn’t tell her talents from Shakira. Scherzinger gushed about her “beautiful voice” and how she “really showcased it” on the show.

So, why do the show? “I love to do new things,” Pons remarked. “I don’t like to repeat stuff so I’m here now and I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow.” One thing’s for sure – she won’t be on The Masked Singer.

Akerman and Pons join a growing list of unmasked celebrities, including Michael Bolton (Wolf), Grandmaster Flash (Polar Bear), Debbie Gibson (Night Owl), Howie Mandel (Rock Lobster), Sara Evans (Mustang) and Dick Van Dyke (Gnome).