Vanessa Hudgens (AKA Goldfish) Named ‘The Masked Singer’ Season 11 Winner
CR: Michael Becker / FOX. ©2024 FOX Media LLC. Reading Time: 3 minutes
The Masked Singer Season 11 came to an end during Wednesday night’s finale, as Goldfish was named the winner and unmasked as High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens. Gumball finished in second place and was unmasked as Friday Night Lights star Scott Porter.
Vanessa Hudgens (AKA Goldfish) Wins The Masked Singer
During Wednesday’s finale, it all came down to two contestants — Goldfish and Gumball. They each performed two songs for their last chance to be named the winner. Goldfish chose to sing “Heart of Glass” by Blondie and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John.
It was enough for Goldfish to be named the winner of the Golden Mask trophy. Final guesses from the panel included Hilary Duff and even Nicole Scherzinger (from Ken Jeong, of course). But only Rita Ora and Jenny McCarthy were correct in guessing that she was Vanessa Hudgens.
“I never knew that it would give me the freedom to purely just do something that I love,” Hudgens shared after her identity was revealed. “And it’s been so long since I’ve been able to do that. It makes me so emotional, because I really do love it so much. It fills my soul, truly.”
Hudgens told Entertainment Tonight that her experience competing on the show was “really empowering” and “came to me at the perfect time,” during last year’s actor’s strike when she was “trying to figure out my next move.” She added that her fans have wanted her to do more singing, so this was a great opportunity.
The actress tied the knot with baseball player Cole Tucker last year, and the couple is currently expecting their first child together. She revealed her pregnancy while hosting on the Oscars red carpet in March of this year.
SEE ALSO: CLOCK UNMASKED IN ‘THE MASKED SINGER’ SEMIFINALS
Goldfish, Gumball Worked Together Before
One of the most interesting reveals during Wednesday’s finale is that Goldfish and Gumball had worked together in the past. Gumball, who finished in second place, was unmasked as actor Scott Porter. He and Hudgens worked together on a movie called Bandslam, which came out in 2009.
“I had no idea, and it was killing me,” Hudgens said of her experience trying to figure out who was under the Gumball mask. “I could never do what you guys do, because I was lost, I was just complaining backstage.”
The panel also couldn’t figure out who was under the Gumball mask, as they guessed everyone from Derek Hough to Joseph Gordon-Levitt. But there turned out to be yet another interesting connection when host Nick Cannon shared that Porter coaches his son Golden’s baseball team.
Plus, panelist Rita Ora is friends with Hudgens and texted her to hang out while the show was ongoing. Hudgens joked that she couldn’t hang out with her because she “can’t lie.” It really is a small world, at least when it comes to celebrities.
What do you think about the result? Do you agree that Goldfish deserved to win Season 11? Were you a fan of Ora as a replacement for Nicole Scherzinger this season? Let us know in the comments below.
