The Masked Singer: Gremlin Revealed to Be Actor Mickey Rourke

Unfortunately for one celebrity on The Masked Singer, their time on TV’s wildest party came to an end tonight. The Gremlin, who sang “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King, was revealed to be actor Mickey Rourke.

Last week, the Fox series lost another major player from group A, Grammy-nominated rapper Busta Rhymes, who ended his time as the Dragon after a stellar performance of LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out.” Judges Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke immediately recognized his voice, but Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg was convinced the Dragon’s deep timbre belonged to legendary rapper DMX. From group A, Popcorn, Giraffe, The Sun, and Snow Owls lived to sing another day. This week, there are a new batch of undercover celebrities looking to claim their spot in The Masked Singer hall of fame, and snag the golden trophy, if they’re lucky enough. Crocodile, Seahorse, Gremlin, Whatchamacallit, Baby Alien, and Serpent took the stage tonight, each one stumping the judges more than the next. There is a new twist to voting this season, as the judges and hundreds of at-home viewers will vote to decide the fate of each contestant throughout the season.

Crocodile started off the show with a Bon Jovi number that made audiences believe the New Jersey prince joined the cast to sing his own song. Following Crocodile, the episode proceeded business as usual until the last performer, Gremlin, shocked the judges and audience by unveiling himself after ending his rendition of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” After a commercial break that left viewers hanging on their seats, the Gremlin revealed himself to be former boxer and Oscar-nominee Mickey Rourke.

After admitting how hot the mask was and letting a few swears slip, Rourke said he performed simply because he was in the neighborhood. Judge Jenny guessed his identity correctly before he unveiled himself, citing their meeting on a radio show as a personal clue. The other judges guessed Gremlin to be Jerry Lee Lewis, Sylvester Stallone, and Steve Austin. Gremlin is the first character in the show’s four seasons to voluntarily remove their mask.

Leading up to this episode, The Masked Singer promos hinted that tonight’s episode would feature a twist unlike any other, and Gremlin’s shocking reveal was certainly a novel ending. Since Rourke outed himself, no other contestants from group B were eliminated, saving the other hidden stars from the judges and home audience’s elimination vote.

The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 pm ET on Fox.

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