“Masked Singer” eliminates first celebrity candidate of season 12

Warning! This article contains spoilers for “The Masked Singer”.

Even though the man behind Leaf Sheep always cut a convincing figure during his professional career, his fight ended in the finale of the 12th season of “The Masked Singer” on Wednesday evening.

Leaf Sheep sang a version of the Tim McGraw hit “I Like It, I Love It.” But there will be no more of that after the character was eliminated in the first episode.

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But who is behind Leaf Sheep?

Robin Thicke picked Troy Aikman, Rita Ora picked Billy Bob Thornton and Jenny McCarthy picked Tom Brady. But Ken Jeong was the right choice.

The nominee turned out to be Denver Broncos legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway. The revelation stunned the crowd as Elway emerged from the costume. Since his role with the Broncos ended in April 2023, he has disappeared from the football spotlight.

Elway, 64, told Fox News Digital that it was a “great experience” to be on the show and that he had considered taking part because he wasn't entirely comfortable singing in front of an audience. But he decided to step out of his comfort zone and get behind the microphone.

“The Masked Singer” jury (FOX)

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“I wasn't a very good singer, still not,” he said. “But it was way out of my comfort zone, and I think for me it was the desire to get out of my comfort zone that got me out of it. Plus, I have 10 grandchildren. I thought it would be cool to see Poppy on 'The Masked Singer,' even though I got kicked out, which is fine.”

“But seeing Poppy on 'The Masked Singer' kind of drove me crazy. But I think the most important thing was that it felt like an achievement when I did it, because it was hard. I'd never done anything like that before. In the long run, I was really glad I did it when I did it.”

Elway also had some advice for those who may be approached about participating in “The Masked Singer.”

“First of all, I would say do it. I think that's something that we, you know, as football players or athletes don't like to do. I have a lot of respect for entertainers and singers and how well they do what they do,” he told Fox News Digital.

Denver Broncos consultant John Elway during training camp at the UCHealth Training Center in Englewood, Colorado, Aug. 5, 2022. (Isaiah J. Downing/USA Today Sports)

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“You're going to be nervous going in there, but go for it and do something that takes you out of your comfort zone. And when you're done with it, it's a great feeling of accomplishment knowing I wasn't particularly good at it, but I tried anyway. That's what I would tell them.”

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