As the first duo this season, viewers want to know who Russian Dolls are on The Masked Singer season 5. The Russian Dolls shocked fans and the judges on the first episode of the current season when they revealed that they’re not just one doll but two.
For those who are first-time watchers of The Masked Singer, here’s a short explainer on the show: The Masked Singer is based on the South Korean show, King of Masked Singer, which sees celebrities perform in head-to-toe costumes as judges and live studio audience members try to guess their identities. One by one, the celebrities are eliminated and reveal their identities to the judges and viewers at home until there is one masked singer left standing. That contestant is declared the winner. In the past, The Masked Singer‘s winners have included T-Pain (a.k.a. Monster), Wayne Brady (a.k.a. Fox), Kandi Burruss (a.k.a. Night Angel) and LeAnn Rimes (a.k.a. Sun).
And before you think The Masked Singer is only for D-list stars, here are the stats for season 5: This season’s contestants boast a combined 26 Grammy nominations, nine multi-platinum singles, four Oscar nominations, three Super Bowl performances, six Olympic Gold Medals and two World Records.
There are also some changes to this season. The first is the introduction of wildcard contestants, who have the chance to unseat another contestant and join the race for the coveted Golden Mask trophy. There are 10 non-wildcard contestants who are split into two groups of five: Group A and Group B. Another change is that Nick Cannon—who hosted The Masked Singer full time from seasons 1 through 4—will be replaced by Niecy Nash for the first few episodes.
So that’s what we know about The Masked Singer season 5. But who are Russian Dolls on The Masked Singer? Well, read on for the most believable theories ahead.
Who Are Russian Dolls on The Masked Singer?
Description:
He used to be the world’s hottest toy, but he’s been doing his own thing for quite some time. Back then, he was a puppet and put into a box. Newer toys replaced him, which was a good thing because he was still successful without being someone’s toy.
Clues:
“A Russian doll can sometimes have 15 replicas of itself”
Mizfitz Toyz Store
Milk
Puppet
Boat steering wheel
Garden State Highway
Bus stop
Zac & Taylor Hanson
Image: Eric Jamison/Invision/AP Images.
We’re almost certain that Russian Dolls are Zac and Taylor Hanson. For one, Hanson—which also included Zac and Taylor’s brother Isaac—was one of the most popular boy bands in the ’90s with songs like their 1997 number-one single, “MMMBop.” In their package, Russian Dolls talk about how they were replaced by shinier and more manufactured toys, which could be a reference to the 2000s boy band craze with NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. The package also shows a sign with the words “Mizfitz Toyz Store,” which could be a clue to the first letter of Hanson’s members’ names: ITZ. The bus stop in the package could also be a nod to the “bus stop” lyric in the band’s 1997 song, “Man From Milwaukee.”
The Masked Singer season 5 airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on FOX. Here’s how to watch it for free.