The Masked Singerhas featured a wide range of celebrity contestants from various fields, butone of the most memorable celebrities was a legendary sitcom and movie actorwho was in his late 90s during his appearance - the judges got emotional when they found out who he was.The Masked Singerhas aired for 13 seasons, starting in 2019, on Fox. This particular appearance came during the premiere ofThe Masked Singerseason 9, which aired on Jul 30, 2025.
During the season premiere ofThe Masked Singerseason 9,a character known as the Gnome made his debut. The Gnome’s identity was hidden under his elaborate, greenery-laden costume. With a bushy red beard and an intricate cape,the Gnome’s identity wasn’t immediately clear. Even after hearing the character’s clues, it was still difficult to guess who was hiding under the mask. That is, until the Gnome was eliminated during the same episode, and the reveal of his identity made the judges and the audience emotional.
The Gnome Was Dick Van Dyke
The Gnome Was Eliminated First On The Masked Singer Season 9
As the season kicked off, judges Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, and Nicole Scherzinger were told that the character Gnome would be competing, and the character was wheeled out onto the stage by two men dressed in black suits. Based on the Gnome’s costume, judgeJenny lamented that this would be a tough onebecause it wasn’t clear how tall, big or old the person under the mask was. During his intro package of clues, the Gnome stated that he’d “become a mainstay” in the public’s lives “over the course of [his] storied career.”
“I really have done it all.”
Dick really has had a storied career. He first burst onto the scene as a Broadway star in the 1950s, but his star became the brightest when he was cast as Rob Petrie onThe Dick Van Dyke Showin 1961, opposite Mary Tyler Moore. The show became a huge hit, and catapulted Dick to superstardom. He went on to star in classic movies likeMary Poppins,Bye Bye Birdie, andChitty Chitty Bang Bang. A true icon,Dick’s won six Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award and a Tony Award. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995.
As the Gnome, Dick went on to say he’d worked with comedians like Ben Stiller and Robin Williams, and performed with Madonna and Lin Manuel Miranda, among others. He also boasted that he knew all the presidents, mentioning Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Another clue was that Tony Danza’s face was emblazoned on a trophy held up during the Gnome’s clues package. Later, this would be revealed to be a Tony Award clue.
The Gnome Sang “When You’re Smiling”
After the Gnome’s clues package ran, his performance began. The first noticeable issue with the performance is thatthe Gnome didn’t move around much. There was no choreography for the Gnome, and his voice sounded masculine. Still, the judges didn’t seem to have a clue who it could be. As the judges watched the performance, it was clear they were in the dark about who might be under the mask, despite Jenny and Robin thinking they recognized his voice.
While background dancers moved around him, the Gnome stayed steady in the center of the stage, barely moving an inch. After it was revealed to be Dick Van Dyke under the mask,his lack of mobility made a lot more sense.
At 97-years-old when he did this performance, he earned the right to stand still.
Another clue came in the form of a Kennedy Center Honors award, which the Gnome proudly discussed. He told an anecdote about meeting President Biden and saying he had once been as tall as Biden, to which Biden replied that he once had the same amount of hair as the Gnome. This sparked a clue in the judges' minds thatwhoever was underneath the mask still had their hair.
Dick Van Dyke Was Eliminated First
None Of The Judges Guessed Correctly
Nicole said that she was “captivated” by the Gnome and his performance. She guessed that Dustin Hoffman was under the mask. Robin guessed that the Gnome was either Mel Brooks or Dustin Hoffman. Jenny guessed Tony Bennett. Ken guessed Robert DeNiro. Clearly,none of the judges were certainwho was under the mask, making his unmasking all the more remarkable.
At the end of the show, following performances by the Mustang (later revealed to be singer Sara Evans) and the Medusa (later revealed to be singer Bishop Briggs), the Gnome was eliminated, and his identity was revealed. As his mask came off anda gray-haired Dick was revealed, the judges couldn’t contain their emotions. Judge Nick Cannon called having Dick, who is currently 99-years-old, on the show “an honor,” and the audience rose to their feet. Nicole began crying as Dick joked that it was “real dark in there” under the mask.
“You’re our childhood,” said Nicole.
“I love you so much. We love you, the whole world loves you so much. It’s an honor to have you on our show,” Nicole stammered through tears. She said he looked “handsome,” andwhen Dick said he was 97-years-old, the audience cheered even louder. Ken shared that Dick was a huge inspiration for his comedy career, and then said this was “the greatest reveal ever.” Dick then sang an encore performance of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from his legendary film,Mary Poppins.
Dick Van Dyke Returned To The Masked Singer Stage in 2024
Dick Supported The Dust Bunny
In 2024, duringThe Masked Singerseason 12, Dick made a triumphant return to the show as a Masked Ambassador for a character known as the Dust Bunny, who would later be revealed to be Andy Richter. The Masked Ambassador is a former contestant who has a connection to a current contestant. The Masked Ambassadors come back to the show to help give clues as to the identity of the contestant in question.
“Hello there ladies and gentlemen, it’s me, Dick Van Dyke. You may remember me as the Gnome from season 9.”
In his video package, Dick joked that at 98-years-old, he “know[s] a little bit about collecting dust” before he introduced Dust Bunny. At the end, Dick wished Dust Bunny good luck and said, “I’m sure you’re going to sweep the competition.” Sadly, Dick’s Dust Bunny stamp of approval didn’t help,as he was eliminated during the same episode.
The Masked Singerseasons 6 through 13 are available to stream on Hulu.
