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Fox's The Masked Singer Season 8 returned for an all-new episode on Wednesday night, September 28, 2022. After a successful premiere, viewers were treated to a triple reveal this week. While they were okay with the Hummingbird and PiRat's reveal, fans were upset that Panther was also unmasked.
Although fans are ecstatic that The Masked Singer has returned for Season 8, they aren't happy with the new format, especially now that the Panther is eliminated. The famed reality TV series introduced a new format where, unlike previous seasons' one-unmasking-per-episode norm, each episode features multiple unmaskings this season.
While fans were excited, they didn't expect to see their favorite costumes get unmasked soon, bringing their journey on The Masked Singer to an early end. In a similar vein, fans claimed that the Panther was eliminated early in the competition.
Titled Vegas Night, episode 2 of The Masked Singer introduced viewers to the Panther and PiRat, who were up against episode 1's reigning queen, the Harp. The three competed against each other, however, soon after, PiRat was eliminated.
Panther and Harp moved on to battle it against each other in the ultimate Battle Royale. They both sang different versions of the same song. It was left up to the judges to decide who they wanted to eliminate. After casting their votes, it was revealed that the Panther received the lowest number of votes and was eliminated.
The celebrity under the mask was famed singer-songwriter Montell Jordan. Fans who had already predicted that it was him were upset that his journey on The Masked Singer ended early. They took to social media to share their disappointment.
Fans claimed that the Panther would still be in the competition if the series followed the old format.
Fans are disappointed with multiple unmaskings on The Masked Singer Season 8
Taking to Twitter, fans claimed they were disappointed that the Panther was eliminated. Many also expressed their dislike for the new format and claimed that the series should've followed the old format. That way, the Panther would've still been in the competition.
Here are the clues that led fans to speculate that the Panther was Montell Jordan
Starting with his audio clue package before his performance, the Panther shared that he rubbed shoulders with famed singer Beyonce. He also added,
"It's lucky that I'm here on Vegas Night, because one of the biggest lessons I've learned is to always bet on yourself."
During his monologue, the Panther also revealed that people thought he was dead for a brief period, and he got to see how his funeral would be. This led him to contemplate about his legacy.
When it came to his visual package, there was a basketball, a cane, a picture of Beyonce, a city street, news headlines about his death, and two signs that said "def" and "ense." There was also a VCR that was labeled Panthers Creed.
The judges were floored to see that the Panther was Montell Jordan himself, proving that fans were right.
The Masked Singer airs every Wednesday at 8 pm ET, only on Fox. Viewers can check their local listings for more information.
