‘The Masked Singer’ Season 14 Episode 3 Live Recap: Performances & Another Double Elimination

The mysterious singing celebs are back for round three and are embracing 1990s vibes with a ‘Clueless’ theme.

Allie Hayes | Jan 21, 2026

Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong and Rita Ora / FOX via Getty Images

The Masked Singer officially returned for a new episode tonight, and as always, we were here to recap everything live for you!

This episode marked week three since the show’s return earlier this month, with the competition quickly heating up. As of now, four celebrities have already been unmasked (in three total eliminations, with one unmasking being a duo). This week, several of the remaining contestants—as well as one new addition—took on a nostalgic theme to ensure they kept their spot on the show.

In case you missed last week’s show

The second episode of the season began with The Croissants being unmasked after they were eliminated during the premiere, which ended on a cliffhanger. The sweet treats were revealed to be Todd and Julie Chrisley, whom the panel had correctly theorized last week.

The episode then immediately began showcasing five new contestants, each of whom had to perform for the panel of detectives, comprising Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong and Rita Ora. Meanwhile, the new masked characters included Le Who Who, High Voltage, Calla Lilly, Owl and Eggplant, who join the current remaining cast of Handyman, Queen Corgi and Snowcone.

For an added twist, the detectives had to cooperate with guest Johnny Knoxville to gain access to the clues about the celebs’ true identities. Knoxville was there to promote Fear Factor: House of Fear, and as such, the panelists each took turns facing their own fears by reaching their hands into boxes filled with various creepy critters—including cockroaches, millipedes, snakes and more—to pull out an envelope containing the clue.

You can check out our full live recap from last week here!

Last week’s elimination

After all five mystery celebs took to the stage for their performances, Le Who Who was eliminated from the competition—and they were none too pleased about it! Their intricate mask was removed, and the competitor was revealed to be comedian Tiffany Haddish, whom Ora had correctly guessed during her energetic rendition of “One Way or Another” by Blondie.

This week’s theme

The masked celebs needed to channel their best “As if!” energy to embrace the Clueless theme this week. The songs spotlighted music from the late 1980s and early 1990s, including a mix of radio hits and heartfelt ballads.

Snowcone

The frozen treat kicked off the show, teasing in preroll footage that they once released a highly anticipated album, but “nobody bought it” at the time. However, years later, their fans rallied around them and their music, and the album became "number one.” They then took to the stage to perform a spirited rendition of “Stronger” by Britney Spears.

McCarthy Wahlberg said that she felt Snowcone would become a “front runner” in the competition before host Nick Cannon revealed the clues for this episode would be given via reenactments of the film Clueless. After the clue, Jeong guessed that the singer might be Avril Lavigne, given the numerology hints. Meanwhile, Thicke thought they might be Mandy Moore or Paris Hilton.

Scarab

The ancient Egyptian-themed character was next, speaking in their preroll footage about the impact their father had on them growing up as he supported their Hollywood dreams. They also revealed that they were nominated for an Academy Award, sharing the heartbreaking fact that their father passed shortly before the ceremony. Singing a moving, slowed-down version of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper, the mystery singer’s performance left the detective panel feeling emotional.

Scarab’s hint had to do with baking, noting that “a lot of baking under pressure” was how they got to where they were now. Jeong thought the singer might be Cynthia Erivo, given the hints about their near-“EGOT” status. Meanwhile, McCarthy Wahlberg believed they might be Angela Bassett.

Handyman

Bringing the energy up after Scarab’s ballad, Handyman strutted their stuff in the spotlight with a rendition of “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest. In the preroll footage, Handyman revealed that an accident caused a change to their voice, which accounted for their signature raspy sound. “The very thing I thought made me too different was the thing that made me stand out,” Handyman added.

Handyman’s main hint for the evening was candy wrappers, which had the detectives guessing that meant they were a rapper. Ora guessed they might be Ice T based on the raspy voice and the hints in the preroll footage, while Jeong thought it might be Mr. T, which Thicke agreed was a good guess.

Pugcasso

The art-themed pup was back again this week, and they had plenty of new hints for fans to spot in their preroll footage. For the majority of the clips, they shared their personal love story, calling it “a real-life rom-com” and crediting their significant other with keeping them grounded when fame becomes too much. For their performance, they sang the 1990s classic “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead.

A Hawaiian shirt acted as their main clue, with Pugcasso adding, “I like the beach, and I like cameras.” Thicke believed them to be Jack Johnson, given that the singer was born in Hawaii. On the other hand, Jeong thought they might be Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20, as he spotted a match during the preroll footage.

Crane

Last to take to the stage this week was the show’s first “Wildcard” addition. During their preroll footage, the mystery singer teased that the Clueless theme was fitting for their debut, as the 1990s defined their career. They also said that they’d done everything in the business, rubbing shoulders with plenty of other A-list names. They performed the hit tune “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay” by Whitney Houston, including an impressive dance break.

“I’m not the one to shy away from centerstage,” Crane teased as they revealed a pair of sparkling ballet slippers for their main clue. Thicke believed the celeb might be Misty Copeland, but also felt they could be Mya, whom Thicke had worked with before. McCarthy Wahlberg agreed, but felt they might actually be Ashanti, as many of the preroll footage clues hinted at song titles from the singer.

Who was eliminated?

At the top of the show, Cannon had revealed that this episode would contain a double elimination. After the detectives’ votes were combined with the audience’s choices, two contestants were sent home.

The first singer to be unmasked was Handyman, who was revealed to be hip hop legend Tone Loc, which Thicke had originally guessed.

The second singer to be unmasked was Scarab, who was revealed to be actress Taraji P. Henson, which Ora had actually changed her answer to just before the reveal.

When is the next episode?

The next episode of The Masked Singer airs on FOX on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll be right back here to recap everything live for you!

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Published Jan 21, 2026|Modified Jan 21, 2026

ALLIE HAYES

Allie Hayes is an experienced pop culture staff writer and editor specializing in movies, TV and celebrity news. Before joining the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit team as a Breaking/Trending News Editor, she worked at several outlets including BuzzFeed, The Daily Dot, and Newsweek. When she’s not writing for work (or writing for fun), you’ll find her curled up on the couch reading yet another romance novel, obsessively watching pro wrestling with her friends, or taking blurry photos of her two adorable cats.