'The Masked Singer' debuts its most senior contestant to date
CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 2/16/2023, 11:08 a.m.
Host Nick Cannon and Dick Van Dyke in the season nine premiere episode of "The Masked Singer."
Mandatory Credit: Michael Becker/FOX
Originally Published: 16 FEB 23 11:55 ET
By Marianne Garvey, CNN
(CNN) -- "The Masked Singer" unmasked two stars on Wednesday's Season 9 premiere, one of whom is their oldest contestant ever.
Dick Van Dyke, 97, was the first of two celebrities to reveal themselves to judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke.
The premiere had been teased beforehand as "the most legendary, decorated and beloved unmasking in history," due to Van Dyke's age.
Van Dyke had been masked as Gnome, and sang a rendition of Billie Holiday's "When You're Smiling."
The panel guessed Tony Bennett and Dustin Hoffman but quickly found out it was Van Dyke, who had also sung Frank Sinatra's' "When You're Smiling."
When he was eliminated, Van Dyke sang a little of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins, in which he played Bert the chimney sweep.
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" star brought Scherzinger to tears when he revealed himself. She told him, "I love you so much. We love you. The whole world loves you so much. It's an honor to have you on our show. I can't believe you're here. I'm trying to play it cool, but you look so gorgeous. You look so handsome."
Jeong added that it was the "greatest reveal ever" on the show.
