‘Masked Singer’ contestant David Archuleta reveals health scare in emotional finale

nypost.com:

Spoiler alert: Winner announced aheadThe 32-year-old “Crush” singer, who performed as Macaw on the Fox singing series, placed second to British entertainer Bishop Briggs, 30 — who embodied Medusa.

Archuleta sang two songs before his identity was revealed, shedding some light on his vocal cord woes. “I didn’t think I would make it this far,” he admitted in a video package before performing Celine Dion’s “All By Myself.”“And honestly, I didn’t even know if I’d still be singing at all.

Not a lot of people know this about me, but I had a major injury last year that left me completely silent for three months.”“I was also going through some pretty big life events, and I began to wonder if this is really for me,” he continued, seemingly alluding to coming out as queer in 2021. “But after taking time to reflect, I realized there was still a part of me in performing, and that I should keep trying, even with all the changes.”An emotional moment between the Mormon-raised Archuleta and “Masked Singer” panelist Ken Jeong, 53, stole the show Wednesday.When asked to give his final prediction about Macaw’s identity, the doctor-turned-comedian guessed Archuleta.Jeong ended up sharing his special connection with the singer face-to-face. “I just have to say, real talk,” Jeong began. “When my wife was on bedrest in the hospital not knowing whether our kids would live or die, we would watch ‘Idol’ every week, and you were like a ray of light for my family,” he explained as he wiped away tears from his eyes.“It’s an honor to see you in this capacity,” Jeong noted. “Thank God for you, and I love you.”Archuleta then revealed what competing on the series meant to him.“Being Macaw has felt liberating.