Spoilers for The Masked Singer lie ahead.
The Masked Singer Season 6 is shaping up to be one of the show's toughest competitions thus far. Every week, a new wildcard emerges, pushing a beloved contestant out of the competition. This week was a perfect example of this dynamic, as Jester’s introduction paved the way for Group B’s Hamster to be eliminated. Of course, fans will miss hearing the lovable character every week, but the real downside is that we won't be able to see him pester host Nick Cannon. Following his elimination, Hamster gave his reason for making Cannon playfully uncomfortable on stage.
Hamster was surprisingly eliminated in the sixth episode, following a beautiful rendition of Luis Miguel’s “Sabor a Mí.” The furry rodent was revealed to be actor and comedian Rob Schneider, which judge Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg correctly guessed. Being a lovable creature allowed Schneider to let out his inner rascal on The Masked Singer. He appeared to be a thorn in Nick Cannon’s side during his time on the show. The Hubie Halloween star said to TV Insider about playing into that role:
Well, you got to go with what’s happening. And he was uncomfortable and I thought, well, that’s kind of fun for me. I was whispering to him, ‘You’re uncomfortable? I’m dressed as a rodent. I got fur down my throat. You’re wearing men’s clothing.’ But he was a decent sport. I wouldn’t say great sport. I’d say decent sport because I saw him getting genuinely annoyed. [Laughs]
It was entertaining to see him make the host squirm, and this actually wasn't the first time Cannon has felt uncomfortable standing on the Masked Singer stage, either. It would seem the actor took full advantage of his cute and adorable persona to be totally mischievous. And of course, his comedic sensibilities also played into his decision to continue those funny (if not annoying) antics against the host. At least, Nick Cannon didn’t take it too hard, given he’s a comedian And to be honest, it's surprising more contestants haven’t taken the route that Rob Schneider did. They get so much screen time with Cannon – why not tease the presenter a bit?
With this most recent elimination, it seems as if contestants like Jester may emerge as the favorites. The stakes for Season 6 have never been higher, especially when you factor in the wildcards and new gameplay strategies. If anything, Hamster’s exit proves no one is safe this season.
Thankfully, at this point, viewers still have many contestants to cheer on like Skunk, the elusive Mallard and the classy Queen of Hearts. The unpredictable nature of the new season will likely continue next week when Group A battles it out for a spot in the Top 8 against another wildcard. So check out The Masked Singer when it airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
