The Masked Singer's latest Season 10 episode was one to remember, and while the Group A final's stunning upset was the conversation of the night, we also saw another talented competitor fall short. S'more was unmasked as former O-Town singer Ashley Parker Angel, and while he graced the audience with a stunning rendition of "All Or Nothing" before his exit, Angel told CinemaBlend a reunion with the boy band is not in the cards for his future.
In an time where even *NSYNC reunited for Trolls: Band Together, Ashley Parker Angel has rebuffed opportunities to rejoin O-Town for reunion tours for a while now. Angel was gracious enough to talk to me about the circumstances that led to that initial decision and how even The Masked Singer's performance hasn't changed his thoughts on a return:
When the O-Town reunion first happened, I had an offer to play Fiyero in Wicked the musical on the national tour. And so the timing just didn't line up. And then as the years went by, I kept doing more Broadway, I kept doing more acting and singing on my own, and they went on as a band. I would say now that I've done The Masked Singer and I've had this opportunity to kind of step back into performing after taking a break from it, it was the perfect way to celebrate my past. But, I'm somebody that really gets excited for the next chapter. It just hasn't been exciting to me to do an O-Town reunion because I feel like I got a chance to do that already.
Ashley Parker Angel had a chance to compete against The Masked Singer's Cow, as well as someone I've thought will be the eventual winner since Episode 2, Gazelle. For now, he's content with that experience and his performances as S'More, all of which can be revisited by O-Town fans who missed out with a Hulu subscription.
As for what the singer and former Making The Band winner is doing now, Ashley Parker Angel has found a new calling as a celebrity fitness and lifestyle coach. Angel spoke about his business High Level Performance Academy, and how he's now connecting with fans of his music in a different way:
It's always exciting for me to evolve to that next chapter. And I've really been focused on [being] an online coach. I've been working with people from all over the world. I coach hundreds of people. A lot of them have been people that were in my fan base that followed my music career that followed me from before. And now I'm working with them, one-on-one, to help them change for the better. And it's been my primary focus. So the truth is I, I don't even have time to step away from that. When you run and operate your own company, it does take your total attention and focus.
While he didn't make it to the end, Ashley Parker Angel got about as complete of an experience as someone competing on The Masked Singer could ask for. This included being a part of the premiere episode, which felt like a throwback to Season 1, which I really appreciated. To make it all the way to the Group A final was impressive, especially since it seems the finale will ultimately see Cow and Gazelle competing again for the win.
Some competitors like Tyler Posey felt some tension following their elimination, but Ashley Parker Angel seemed at peace with how it went down. Now he's back to work coaching people on changing their lives, and thinks that paired with his special performance on The Masked Singer satiated any potential urge to want to reunite with his fellow boy band members:
And I also just have to say as much as I love performing, I did it for twenty years from the time I was eighteen to the time I was like thirty-eight years old. And at that point, I thought I'm ready for something different. I'm ready to shake it up. It started when the pandemic hit. It started as an experiment. I just started coaching people online, and I fell in love with it. It has been such a deeply rewarding and satisfying part of my career that I have to say when it comes to an O-Town reunion, I just haven't been excited to step back into that world. And they've also been a band now for many years without me They've gone on as a foursome now. So it's kind of like a whole different thing now, and they've been doing it, and I support that they do that. I still keep in touch with a couple of guys from the band. I really love that I was able to sing ‘All Or Nothing’ after I got unmasked. it was like a great nod to the boy band past.
The Masked Singer panel figured out Ashley Parker Angel ahead of his unmasking, and it's largely thanks to Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg getting back to form on her guessing game after the unexpected trend of Ken Jeong guessing Season 10 contestants correctly. Angel told CinemaBlend he wasn't shocked the actress guessed him, especially with her husband Donnie Wahlberg's connection to the boy band universe via New Kids On The Block.
Season 10 will roll on with the Group B and C finals and then the two-hour finale to crown the winner of The Masked Singer. This is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons yet, so I can't wait to see who emerges as the winner of the other groups.
The Masked Singer airs on Fox on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tune in to see who else will be in the finale and for other surprises in Season 10 as we travel through the back half of the season.
