‘The Masked Singer’ Reveals Identities of Koala and Love Bird: Here Are the Celebrities Under the Costumes

variety.com:

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 11, Episode 6 of “The Masked Singer,” “Transformers Night,” which aired April 10 on Fox. Former “The Bachelor” star Colton Underwood knows the symbolism of his being unmasked on a reality show — in this case, “The Masked Singer” — is huge.

Underwood, a former pro football player who made history as the first star of “The Bachelor” to come out as gay, was one of two celebrities to be revealed on Wednesday night’s show — the other being another ex-NFL player, the Hall of Fame, former pro football linebacker DeMarcus Ware. “You’re obviously protected by a mask, which was symbolic for me in many ways just because I’d worn one my entire life until I wasn’t,” Underwood told Variety. “To put one back on to go on stage and do something that I’ve never done, something I never thought I was going to do, was sort of symbolic and so fun.” In the case of Underwood, who was revealed as “Love Bird” on the show, it’s a return to unscripted TV following “The Bachelor” and his Netflix series “Coming Out Colton.” “I really sort of needed to step away from being back on everybody’s televisions and I needed to work on my coming out experience and my personal life, my relationship,” said Underwood, who got married in 2021. “I just felt like this season was the time to say yes.

I’m in a great place in my life. I’m really happy and the challenge was something I needed.” In the case of Ware, revealed as the “Koala,” the decision to go on “The Masked Singer” came after producers saw him perform the national anthem at the football hall of fame. “They were like, ‘hold on, wait a minute, he can sing a little bit,” Ware said.