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Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit

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The Masked Singer Season 11 premiered Wednesday night on FOX, with Rita Ora filling in for Nicole Scherzinger on the panel. We were introduced to five new contestants from Group A during the show, culminating in Book unmasking himself to reveal his identity as comedian Kevin Hart.

Book Unmasked as Kevin Hart in The Masked Singer Premiere

Book was the last contestant to perform during Wednesday’s premiere, singing “So Sick” by last season’s winning celebrity Ne-Yo. The performance was definitely not the strongest of the night, but the audience and panel didn’t even have to vote him off, because he chose to unmask himself.

Even though they suspected it was Hart under the mask, the panel still went wild over the reveal. Book had teased during his clue package that he was playing a joke on a friend, who of course turned out to be host Nick Cannon. The two have been going back and forth in a prank war for years.

“That was the worst performance ever in the history of this show!” Cannon told Hart after he revealed his identity. Hart then informed Cannon that he “performed bad on purpose.”

Cannon announced that the other contestants from Wednesday’s show were safe from elimination, and he asked Hart to follow the show’s tradition for unmasked celebrities by singing again. Hart delivered an encore performance of “So Sick,” but it wasn’t much better than before.

SEE ALSO: GOLDFISH COVERS OLIVIA RODRIGO IN ‘THE MASKED SINGER’ SEASON 11 SNEAK PEEK

Goldfish, Ugly Sweater Impress the Panel

Thankfully, the other contestants on Wednesday’s premiere delivered much better performances than Book. First, Goldfish showed off an impressive voice and a great stage presence on a cover of “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo. Guesses from the panel included Lea Michele, Selena Gomez, and Carly Rae Jepsen.

Later, Ugly Sweater took the stage to sing “The Best” by Tina Turner, showing off the voice of a seasoned professional. The panel speculated that there was a “divo” (male diva) under the mask, guessing people such as Charlie Wilson, Nile Rodgers, and Verdine White.

The premiere also featured performances from Starfish (who sang “Material Girl” by Madonna) and Lovebird (who sang “Home” by Phillip Phillips). Guesses for Starfish included Catherine O’Hara and Molly Shannon. Guesses for Lovebird included Travis Kelce and Nick Viall.

The Masked Singer Season 11 will return next week, as Group B takes the stage. What did you think of this week’s show? Any guesses about who’s under the masks? Let us know in the comments below.

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