The Masked Singer Season 10 paid tribute to the iconic Elton John in Episode 4 as four new costumed characters took the stage to entertain viewers.
Another icon was among them, as the Royal Hen got unmasked by the night’s end and was a trailblazing legend.
Royal Hen brought a regal vibe with her costume, clue package, and on-stage performance.
However, one of the most significant clues came after her performance, when a medal hanging on a sparkly heart arrived on stage.
That’s because this individual was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded to them by former president Barack Obama.
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When the unmasking finally occurred, the legendary Billie Jean King was in the costume, which also was another correct guess for this season’s hottest panelist.
Royal Hen unmasked on Masked Singer’s Elton John night
When Royal Hen’s clue package arrived, it was clear she was someone who was not only famous but very important. She appeared in a palace with a throne and shared that she’d “championed equal opportunities for all.”
Among the clues were a football plaque and a growling bear standing in Royal Hen’s path. However, she grabbed her plaque and hit the bear on the head, knocking it out.
Other clues included a “royal stadium hot dog” and a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Following the clue segment, Royal Hen performed Elton John’s Philadelphia Freedom. That tipped off Ken Jeong as the song was written for someone famous.
Following the song, the medal clue was brought out with Royal Hen mentioning that President Obama had awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
One of the early guesses was Robin speculating it was Gloria Steinem, whom he said his father once dated. Fellow panelist Jenny McCarthy thought it might be someone from the iconic women in the movie 80s for Brady and guessed EGOT winner Rita Moreno.
Ken Jeong continues his impressive Season 10
A second performance arrived from Royal Hen as she was involved in the episode’s Smackdown against The Hawk. These characters received the least votes of the four new ones in the episode. Meanwhile, The Husky and The Tiki moved on to the next round.
Royal Hen and The Hawk performed Elton John’s Don’t Go Breaking My Heart. While Royal Hen gave it her best attempt, The Hawk seemed a more experienced musical performer and wowed the panelists and crowd with a rocking rendition.
After a vote, The Hawk moved on, and Royal Hen had to unmask. Once the mask came off, it was 39-time grand slam champion and activist Billie Jean King. She was a tennis champion of the 1960s and 70s who famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the matchup billed as the Battle of the Sexes.
That match became a 2017 Hollywood film of the same title starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell. King, a 1987 inductee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, also had the USTA National Tennis Center in New York City named after her in 2006.
King was among the first openly gay sports legends and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Barack Obama in 2009.
In addition to Robin’s Gloria Steinem guess and Jenny’s Rita Moreno speculation, Nicole Scherzinger thought it might be legendary sex therapist Dr. Ruth. However, all three were off track, while Ken stood by his original guess.
Royal Hen’s first performance provided a significant clue. Elton John wrote the song Philadelphia Freedom for the former No. 1 tennis star.
Royal Hen was Ken Jeong’s third correct guess of the season, as he’d previously guessed Rubber Ducky was Anthony Anderson and Diver was Tom Sandoval. His only miss out of four was The Pickle, who turned out to be Michael Rappaport, someone none of the panelists could figure out.
The next episode will feature another tribute event, with the episode based on the magical Harry Potter franchise as costume characters attempt to stump the panelists and viewers.
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on FOX.
