The Masked Singer Season 13 Premiere Recap: Honey Pot Revealed

SPOILER ALERT: Details follow for Season 13, Episode 1 of “The Masked Singer,” “Lucky Season 13,” which aired February 12 on Fox.

Cedric the Entertainer got that name for a reason: He’s more than a comedian and actor. In college, Cedric was in singing groups, crooning harmonies with others. “And when I started to perform, I would sing a lot in my shows, adding these characters and jokes with a lot of vocalization to them,” he told Variety.

And even now, in his Las Vegas show with Toni Braxton, Cedric mostly does standup but does bust out a Nat King Cole number. So that’s why he decided to give “The Masked Singer” a try. On Wednesday’s Season 13 premiere, Cedric the Entertainer was the first celebrity to be unmasked, as the Honey Pot.

For Honey Pot, Ken Jeong got it right with Cedric the Entertainer, and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg agreed. Robin Thicke thought it was Martin Lawrence. Rita Ora named Eddie Murphy.

Cedric sang “Sexyback,” by Justin Timberlake, for his performance. And if he had returned for another episode, he was planning to sing a Luther Vandross tune. The star said he had a bit of trouble with the Honey Pot costume, so he toned his performance down a bit.

“In the rehearsal I stumbled a couple of times. I just couldn’t see my feet and connect with where I was,” he said. “I had to really work hard to keep my footing.”

Nonetheless, he called it “a great experience. I do wish I would have had an opportunity to do another song, at least one more,” he said. “If I could have stayed around and did one more, I could have built a cool audience.”

But nonetheless, Cedric the Entertainer as Honey Pot is now on the board as the first celebrity unmasked on “The Masked Singer” this season.

Season 13 opened with panelists Rita Ora and Robin Thicke performing “Get Lucky” along with Mario (who performed as Wasp in Season 12).

Back for Season 13 are host Nick Cannon, alongside panelists Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, Rita Ora and Robin Thicke. Ora was at the desk for a third consecutive season to fill in for Nicole Scherzinger.

New this season, a mysterious masked character dubbed “Detective Lucky Duck” will appear throughout the season to give clues and help the panelists “quack” the case of who’s under the masks. Also new: The “Crack the Case” clue cases, in which more clues are shared about the eliminated contestant.

Honey Pot’s clue case included a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

“The Masked Singer” Season 13 themed episodes include a tribute to franchises “Shrek” and “Ghostbusters,” as well as the Grand Ole Opry as it hits its 100th anniversary. Also on tap are a tribute to the Rat Pack and themes such as “Voices of Olympus: Unmasking the Gods,” “Carnival,” “Boy Bands,” “Decades,” “Lucky 6 Speed Guessing,” a “Clash of the Masks” and the return of “Soundtrack of My Life.”

Masked contestants in Season 13 include Honey Pot, Space Ranger, Cherry Blossom, Coral, Fuzzy Peas, Ant, Paparazzo, Griffin and Bat, with more to be announced later.

Here were the performances on Wednesday’s Episode 1, “Lucky Season 13”:

Honey Pot

Song: “Sexyback,” by Justin Timberlake

Panel guesses: Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, Keegan Michael Key

Honey Pot voiceover: “Hello, I see you player. This is me. You got the swagger with the bowtie, I like this. I’m becoming the Honey Pot, because I always say, you can catch flies with honey, but you can catch even more honeys being fly! I’ll do anything for a laugh. So when it comes to this show, I’m game. Welcome to ‘What’s the Buzz!’ The categories: Funny, Money and Honeys. First question, Who is one of the founding fathers of modern day comedy? Here’s the answer: It’s me! Next, who’s sold more than two billion bucks at the box office? The answer? It’s me! Final question. Who do the ladies consider the sexiest man on the planet? The answer? Brad Pitt. But I was a close second. Now, let’s see what they won: Me!”

Ant

Song: “Just Give Me a Reason,” by Pink

Panel guesses: Lea Michele, Lindsay Lohan, Kesha, Ashanti

Ant voiceover: “I will do you justice, I promise. Why am I an Ant? The thing about ants is that they’re small and mighty. And did you know that they can carry over 50 times their body weight? But just because you can carry a heavy burden doesn’t mean you should have to. I’ve been forced to bear a deep dark secret for my entire career. And because of this secret, powerful people tried to erase me. To brush me off, to stomp me out. The weight of it broke my spirit, broke me. But recently, I made a decision. I can stay broken, or I could be a warrior. That’s the reason I am here. To fight for my voice to be heard. And like any ant, march towards real change.”

About her bravery: “I’m really here on stage tonight for all the survivors. I see you. Anyone who has had to endure, I see you, I support you. Together, no one will ever stomp us out.”

Paparazzo

Song: “The Door,” by Teddy Swims

Panel guesses: Taron Egerton, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kieran Culkin

Paparazzo voiceover: “Becoming Paparazzo is perfect for me. Because, let’s face it. The lens has been pointed in my direction my entire life. And while you’ve seen me do so many things in my career, the one thing I have never had the chance to do is sing on a big stage. Until now. And honestly, I’m terrified. I mean, I worked with the greats. Took over the silver screen. And even took America’s sweetheart to prom. But this is so outside of my comfort zone, I’m kind of freaking out. But I think that’s the big reason to give it a try. And I know I’m not going to be perfect. But tonight, I’m digging deep and putting my fears aside and hopefully capturing your hearts.”

About his famous friends: “If you guys keep me around, I might spill the tea on another friend of mine, Steve Martin!”

Fuzzy Peas

Song: “La Bamba,” by Ritchie Valens

Panel guesses: Mario Lopez, George Lopez, John Leguizamo

Fuzzy Peas voiceover: “If you had told me one day I would be dressing up as Fuzzy Peas, I would tell you, ‘hey absolutely, I believe you!’ This is so me. He’s silly, he’s suave, but also he looks like a conqueror. You see, I am third generation in my field. And we all fought for what we believe in. Add a dash of my mother’s passion, music, and now I’m known for my hits. Some of them grammy nominated. Delicioso! I even fulfilled her dying wish of a gold record. Now I, Fuzzy Peas, am here as captain of my destiny because I never say no to a challenge. Or a fiesta!”

About his night at the Grammys: “I was nominated with Shakira and Christina Aguilera.”

Coral

Song: “Mad World,” by Tears for Fears

Panel guesses: Bebe Rexha, Carly Rae Jepsen, Sabrina Carpenter, Halsey

Coral voiceover: “The Coral costume is so majestic. But she’s also got these hard tough edges. The kind that’s strong and resilient. And that’s why I relate to her. Ever since I was young, I dreamed of being a star. I asked everyone, please let me sing for you. But for eight years, it was rejection after rejection. I was this little girl struggling through the madness of the industry. Just as I was about to give it all up, a small victory turned into my voice being heard across the globe. And now, that unpredictable madness has led me here. And as Coral, I’m casting my net toward a new goal: Securing that trophy.”

Her message to naysayers: “All those nos just made me stronger. And all it took was one yes to start a way to success!”

In Season 12, Boyz II Men (as the Buffalo) won the Masked trophy, beating out Mario, as the Wasp, who was this season’s runner-up. They joined AJ Michalka as Strawberry Shortcake; Kobie Turner as Goo, Jana Kramer as Royal Knight, Bronson Arroyo as Sherlock Hound, Drake Bell as Ice King, Bethany Hamilton as Macaron, Natalie Imbruglia as Bluebell, Laverne Cox as Chess Piece, Andy Richter as Dusty Bunny, Paula Cole as Ship, Marsai Martin as Woodpecker, Yvette Nicole Brown as Showbird and John Elway as Leaf Sheep as the celebrities unmasked on “The Masked Singer” Season 12.

“The Masked Singer” comes from Fox Alternative Entertainment. Rosie Seitchik, Craig Plestis and Cannon are executive producers, while Seitchik serves as showrunner. The series is based on the South Korean format created by Mun Hwa Broadcasting Corp.