Doll Thought He Was Gonna Win ‘Masked Singer’: ‘When They Said I Was Going Home, I Was Like, What?’

[Spoiler alert: This story contains the identity of the eliminated singer on Wednesday night’s (April 5) episode of The Masked Singer.]

The contestants on The Masked Singer paid tribute to the silver screen on Wednesday’s “WB Movie Night”-themed episode. And one statuesque singer, Doll, stood tall above them all. The power singer who impressed the judges with solid covers of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” and Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” last week, was back in a groove with a raspy, rocking take on Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock.”

With Dandelion taking on Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow” and Mantis sliding through Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll,” the competition was fierce. The judges were once again impressed by Doll’s chops, with Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg pretty sure it was punk icon Iggy Pop and Robin Thicke feeling good about KISS’ Gene Simmons given the singer’s height and pro stage moves.

Ken Jeong wasn’t even close with a guess of Elvis star Austin Butler, but Nicole Scherzinger was at least in the wheelhouse with her guesses that it was either Guns N’ Roses’ Slash or Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach.

When the head came off, though, it was none other than Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider, who tells Billboard that he was pretty sure he was going to win it all. In a chat before his elimination, Snider talks about his wild ride on the Doll side and why his least favorite body part may have given him away.

As a guy who spent years covered in garish women’s makeup and fishnet gloves, why the Doll? Seems a bit on-the-nose, no?

When they presented it to me, they were very enthusiastic about the costume. I thought it was great, but yeah, a bit too on-the-nose. Isn’t that a Twisted Sister by definition? And you could tell because a lot of people on social media guessed exactly that it was me, and Las Vegas had me as the No. 1 choice. They had me top three for winning. I’m not afraid of a pair of heels.

I don’t mean to correct you, but as you told the judges: They were pumps, not heels.

Right! Pumps are much more difficult!

The costume really showed off your legs and, as a guy who is already over 6 feet tall, it made you look like you were 7 feet tall.

With that head and heels, I was! I was gigantic, and I think my legs gave me away. Actually, Nicole said she recognized me because of those “bony kneecaps.” I mean, thanks for nothing, Nicole! That was a cheap shot, going for my weakest feature, my kneecaps. I used to wear those kind of shoes onstage for years, but the head piece was a real game changer. When I wore makeup onstage, I could at least look down and see where I was going. But in the mask, my vision was distorted and very limited and it was a bit scary, actually.

Your “Jailhouse Rock” was a bit raspier and more bluesy than we’re used to from you. What were you trying to do with that one?

It was movie night, and I’ve sung “Jailhouse” many times. People don’t know it, but the amount of times you have to sing those songs over and over — in rehearsal, technical tests — you’re burning your voice out, and quite honestly, it was raspier than I wanted it to be. It was the sixth or seventh time I sang it. I don’t sing much professionally anymore. … It’s not what I do now, so my voice is not in shape to handle that.

Well, your innate showmanship came through. You had the crowd clapping and singing along with you.

I thought that I had the crowd! When they said I was going home, I was like, what? My initial reaction was, “My wife is going to Hawaii, now I can go with her.” But I didn’t get to see the other performers. … I heard them and I wasn’t impressed. I don’t know who they were, but wow, they must have really brought it! Even when I sang “We’re Not Gonna Take It” in protest,the crowd joined me. Maybe they just didn’t like my kneecaps.

You’re a rock star, you’ve been on Celebrity Apprentice, Growing up Twisted and Celebrity Wife Swap. But is it safe to say this is the weirdest reality show you’ve ever done?

Yeah. I’ve done too much reality TV. They had a roast for me a few years ago and [Ozzy Osbourne guitarist] Zakk Wylde said, “Dee, you’ve gotta stop. This isn’t a roast, it’s an intervention!” This was definitely the hardest. It was sensory deprivation on every level.

The guesses were all over the place, from Gene Simmons to Iggy Pop, Austin Butler, Slash, Sebastian Bach and David Lee Roth. Were you offended, impressed, upset? 

I thought they were circling around in that world of Gene and Sebastian and David Lee. They were homing in on those big dogs out there. If I was on one more show, they would’ve gotten it.

You did Simple Minds and Duran Duran last week, which were a bit out of your musical wheelhouse, but you really nailed them. What were you trying to show with those performances?

I was trying to stay away form [wails] going into that range and that style so people wouldn’t know my voice immediately. “Don’t You Forget” is a guilty pleasure. As a metal guy, I could never say I really like that song, and apparently they weren’t able to get permission to use it prior until they tried to get it for me. I was honored they let me do it.