The Masked Singer kicked off season 9 with one of its most epic reveals ever. Dick Van Dyke was revealed as the Gnome in the premiere that aired on February 15. The 97-year-old took the stage in the elaborate Gnome costume and performed “When You’re Smiling” by Billie Holiday.
Several celebrity names were guessed ahead of the Gnome reveal, including Dustin Hoffman, Mel Brooks, Tony Bennett, and Robert De Niro. Panelist Robin Thicke thought there was no way that the Gnome wasn’t Dustin. They were all wrong — it was Dick all along!
The 97-year-old had a number of obvious hints about his identity in his clue packages. The umbrellas were a nod to his role in Mary Poppins. He also mentioned he’d worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda and the late Robin Williams.
After the big reveal, the crowd erupted into applause. “This is the most seasoned and decorated entertainer we have had on our show,” host Nick Cannon said. All of the panelists gave Dick a standing ovation. Nicole Scherzinger began to cry. “The whole world loves you so much. It’s an honor to have you,” she said through tears. Ken Jeong declared that this was the “greatest reveal ever” and said Dick inspired him to become a comedian.
Dick admitted that it was “real dark” inside the Gnome costume. He said he “couldn’t see a thing” while he was performing on stage. Dick quipped that he “loved” that the panelists thought he was De Niro! He even broke out into song. The living legend started singing the iconic “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins with Nick and the panelists. What a truly memorable moment in The Masked Singer history!
Dick’s career has spanned 7 decades over film, television, and the stage. Over 50 years after starring in Mary Poppins, the actor made a cameo appearance in the 2018 sequel Mary Poppins Returns. New episodes of The Masked Singer season 9 will air Wednesdays on FOX.