The Masked Singer’s double elimination decided which of its competitors advanced to the next round in an efficient way, but sadly it came at the cost of eliminating one of the first group’s top contenders. Philadelphia Eagles lineman Jordan Mailata surprised the panel as Thingamabob, and maybe even a few folks at home, considering he’s an active member of the NFL. Given that, I had to ask him what inspired him to do the show, especially with so much already on his plate.
Jordan Mailata spoke to me following the episode of his elimination and talked about the reason why he decided to do The Masked Singer in spite of all his numerous obligations as an NFL player. As it turns out, he needed some convincing from someone special in his life.
You’re right, the schedule is very busy. It kind of made me hesitant to be a part of The Masked Singer this year, but my girlfriend convinced me about the once of a lifetime opportunity it was to be able to be invited and be a part of the history of the show. I was like, ‘You know, if we have time in January, let’s do it.’ January came, and unfortunately, our season ended early, and then it opened up this door to participate in The Masked Singer. I just took full advantage of the opportunity and made the most of it.
Jordan Mailata had a promising start on The Masked Singer, and perhaps if it wasn’t for his massive frame, the panel might’ve guessed him as a professional recording artist. In the end, however, no one on the panel ever effectively figured out his identity beyond him being an athlete.
While Jordan Mailata fooled The Masked Singer’s panel (which isn’t always a huge accomplishment given Ken Jeong’s guess record), there was one group of fans who couldn’t be fooled. I asked Mailata just how long it took before Philadelphia Eagles fans figured it out and learned about how hard it was for him to try and keep a low profile once The Masked Singer Season 7 started.
Real quick! It was real easy [for them]. All the life diehard fans that we have, they’re so passionate. . . I’m mates with a couple of guys around Philly [and] they were texting me, and they were like, ‘We know this is you.’ I’m like, ‘It’s not, dude. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Like, stop smoking that crack, man, you don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just like, completely trying to throw them off. . .pretend like I’ve never watched the show before, so it was really hard and really funny just trying to stay away from that conversation and not entertain it.
The Masked Singer Season 7 had a hotter start than most previous seasons, especially with allegations of a walk-off by Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke due to a controversial contestant on the program. Take that paired with the accidental unmasking of Duff Goldman and Firefly’s dramatic walk-off, and there is a lot of buzz about the new season. That had to make things harder for Jordan Mailata, especially if friends were already onto him.
Jordan Mailata still plans to continue his NFL career, but his run on The Masked Singer showed he’s capable of much more. I asked Mailata if he’s now looking at a post-retirement career in television following his experience, and he confirmed he’s certainly interested.
100%. It’s made me realize the doors that The Masked Singer has opened for me and just the people that I’ve met. It’s just been such a wonderful and amazing experience and, man, I’m so glad that my girlfriend convinced me to do it. Otherwise, I would’ve been watching the season and watching somebody else as Thingamabob.
Some might argue Jordan Mailata could’ve gone further in The Masked Singer had it not been for the double-elimination. Unfortunately, talented singers often get cut before their time due to pairings or the circumstances of what’s happening in the show, so this is nothing new. He’s grateful for the experience all the same and maybe even ready for his next television appearance outside of sports.
The Masked Singer airs on Fox on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Those who might’ve missed its return amongst the sea of returning shows right now can catch up for next week by viewing our Season 7 elimination list, which is updated after every episode.
