Spoilers for the most recent episode of The Masked Singer lie ahead!
The Masked Singer Group B finale was a tough one, as Banana Split and Queen of Hearts battled it out. Despite taking on the Stevie Wonder classic “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” with judge Robin Thicke, Banana Split was sent home before the Season 6 finale. After their elimination, one half of the duo explained how the singing competition compared to their time on OG Fox series American Idol.
As many viewers speculated, Banana Split was revealed to be music super-producer David Foster and his actress/singer wife Katharine McPhee. While a singing competition might’ve been new for Foster, it was old territory for McPhee, as viewers first got to know her through her time on American Idol. Over a decade after becoming that show's Season 5 runner-up, the Country Comfort star spoke with Entertainment Weekly on how her recent singing experience brought up memories from her Idol days:
It did bring back some memories. Specifically what it reminded me of was the difficulty of song choice. It really reminded me like, oh my gosh, the struggle and the constant battle of, ‘Okay, you made it past the next round, now what song are you gonna do?’ The audiences at home probably don't care about this detail, but it's very hard to get certain songs cleared. Like I couldn't get Olivia Rodrigo's songs cleared at all, which was disappointing because I would have loved to have done a couple of her songs. So that was what it reminded me the most of, but I felt more like I was in a circus than a talent competition, to be honest. Because, you know, sitting backstage in these glittery costumes with the headpiece off, and you've got these black curtains all drawn, you can hear people warming up — I felt like I was in the circus.
It's understandable that Katharine McPhee would see the similarities between the two shows. Song selection and audience votes are, of course, at the top of the list. However, singing in elaborate costumes and not knowing who your competition is vastly different, as the Scorpion alum pointed out. Still, it was also pretty sweet to see her do the show and in the process, return to American Idol’s original homebase, Fox. It was a nice full-circle moment for her, and it would've been even sweeter to see her win the competition.
Her elimination ahead of the finale was somewhat of a letdown for the multihyphenate, though. Having come in second place on American Idol, McPhee saw her and Foster’s time on The Masked Singer as a chance for a bit of redemption. During the same interview, Katharine McPhee expressed her disappointment in not clenching the win this time. She also joked that maybe being number one wasn’t “in the cards” for her. But I wouldn't expect the loss to keep her down. She and her musician husband put in some serious work and should be proud of what they accomplished.
With Banana Split out of the competition, viewers will now get to see Queen of Hearts and the Bull battle it out on the two-hour Season 6 finale. To see who takes home the Golden Mask, check out The Masked Singer on Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
